


The Flatmate

by mayghaen17



Series: The Flatmate [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Angst, Bisexual Male Character, Car Sex, Drama, Exhibitionism, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Miscarriage, Multi, Oral Sex, Phone Sex, Public Sex, Slice of Life, Theomione, Threesome - F/M/M, Triad - Freeform, True Love, Voyeurism, dramione - Freeform, true romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:40:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 87,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25636702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayghaen17/pseuds/mayghaen17
Summary: Hermione's new flatmate is driving her mad. Not the one that she's involved in a friends-with-benefits thing, no. The other one. The one that doesn't actually live there, but stays over way too often. The one her flatmate claims is just a friend. And once she finally voices her assumptions, both set out to prove just how wrong she truly is. [Muggle AU]
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson/Gregory Goyle
Series: The Flatmate [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858420
Comments: 282
Kudos: 850
Collections: Favourites2021, dm fanfics, dramione to read





	1. Voyeur

**Author's Note:**

> As always, a huge thank you and eternal gratitude to the lovely honeysweetcutie for being an amazing alpha and friend! I couldn't have done without you!!
> 
> Fancast for Theo is Ben Bowers
> 
> This is a Muggle AU.

**ONE**

**Voyeur**

Hermione's new flat mate was driving her crazy.

It wasn't that he was a bad flat mate. No. He was practically perfect. He was relatively quiet. He didn't throw parties like she had been afraid of. He always made sure that when he did have friends over, that she knew about it ahead of time and never did anything loud after a reasonable hour. He kept to himself in the sense that he was very respectful of their spaces. He never touched anything that he knew was hers and vice versa. He even kept things tidy. And not just tidy, but her level of tidy. She was the type that when she made a mess of any kind, she cleaned it right away. He did the same.

It was his goddamn looks that were driving her crazy.

They most certainly were not the reason she had chosen his application. It was all the other qualities he possessed that she liked, but his looks had not been a factor for his approval. Though, she had to admit it was nice to come home to someone so goddamn gorgeous.

The downside to a good-looking roommate was the self-consciousness. Especially since she was awkward by nature. She had never been good in social situations and she had never lived with anyone once she left her parent's house after Uni, but after switching careers, it was either get a roommate or move back in with her parents.

She had been ready to move back to her childhood home when she interviewed Theodore Nott. She had accepted his application on the spot and he moved in right away. He even helped her pack up the makeshift library she had made in the spare bedroom. Overall, he was a great addition to her life.

And damn her lack of social graces for trying to embarrass her to death.

The first awkward moment had occurred only after a few days of having him there. Days! She had woken up late for work and was used to not only being alone in the house, but sleeping without a stitch of clothing on. She had raced from her room to the bathroom that separated her room and Theo's. She hadn't bothered to knock before wrenching the door open to see him brushing his teeth.

In her sleepy daze, it had taken her quite a long time to realize that he was smirking at her. She had given a yelp and ran back to her bedroom. Mortified, she had skipped the shower, dressed with lightning speed, and opted to buy mouthwash at the corner store before work.

When she had returned home that evening, he had been a perfect gentleman about it. His hazel eyes had sparkled with amusement at her embarrassment, but thankfully he kept his laughter to himself. She apologized profusely and he had promised her it wasn't the end of the world.

The next time, had been a combination of faults. She had come home with takeout for the both of them and was sitting on the couch to eat it. From there, she could see his door and the door to the bathroom. The bathroom door was cracked open and she found herself watching him get out of the shower and towel himself off instead of the television while she stuffed her mouth full of food.

Her cheeks had burned more intensely that time than they had when he'd seen her naked. He laughed about it when he came to sit next to her on the couch. He told her it was his fault for not closing the door all the way and then told her they were even now.

She wished that had been the end of it, but over the course of the first three months, there seemed to be an occurrence almost weekly. Once she had fallen asleep on the couch only to waken in the middle of the night to see him getting himself off on his bed. If he saw her watching, he had never said anything.

And lately, she had noticed he had been staring at her a lot more than usual. And she had been doing the same, to be fair. She had come home to him having cooked; something he did pretty regularly. Something he refused to let her do after the day she had nearly burned the house down making toast.

"Smells delicious," she said, dropping her purse on the small table by the entrance. She shucked her shoes and made her way to the table where he already had a glass of wine poured for her. "What are we having?"

"Nothing fancy, just spaghetti."

"If it's not cereal, it's fancy," she quipped and took a large mouthful of her wine. She eyed him as he stirred the pasta on the stove. How anyone could look so good in an apron was beyond her. She bit her lip and looked away before he noticed her ogling him.

"How was work?" he asked, tapping the wooden spoon on the edge of the pot before picking up his own wine glass and tipping it to his lips.

She sighed. "Another day, another dollar."

"You're young. Plenty of time to switch it up again if you need to," he said with a smile.

"What about your day?"

"Always a peach to work for your family," he said, voice dry. "But hey, whatever pays the bills." He went back to stirring the pasta and beckoned her forward. He fished for a noodle and ran it under the cool tap water. He held it up for her and she opened her mouth to taste it. She nodded and fumbled to slurp up the rest of the noodle.

"Perfect."

She topped off their glasses and brought them to the table as he drained the pasta and plated up their dinner. They tucked into their meal and talked about their day. As always, their conversation was pleasant. She enjoyed getting to know him. He came from high class society, but you wouldn't know it right off the bat. He didn't dress the part. Occasionally he would say something that was purely aristocratic, but it was rare. He was so down to earth it made her smile.

When they were finished, she helped him clean up and store the leftovers before they tackled dishes. As she finished drying the last of the dishes to put away, she caught him staring at her as he leaned against the counter. "Yes?" she asked.

He studied her a little longer before smiling at her. "Are you seeing anyone, Hermione?"

She laughed. "I broke up with my last boyfriend, if that's what you can even call it, about a month before you moved in. I'm on a break." She paused with a half-dried plate in her hand. "Why?"

"I can't help but notice the tension that's been growing between us since I've moved in," he said.

She cleared her throat and put the plate and its companion in the cupboard and set the towel down in its rightful place over the handle of the oven door. She stared at him, unable to find the words as she wasn't sure she had heard him correctly.

"I'm not seeing anyone either; more or less at a lull in that department, same as you." He crossed his arms in front of him and lifted one hand to his chin. "I'm proposing a one-time thing; take the edge off while we're single. No strings attached, no feelings."

She grinned from ear-to-ear and tried her best not to laugh. "Isn't this how all rom-com's start? We hook up once, then a few more times, then fall madly in love with the other, and-" she put her hands up and waved her fingers. "Poof, happily ever after."

He did laugh and it eased her fear that she might have insulted him. "Well if it happens, I'll consider myself lucky, but I think we're adult enough to handle it. Besides," he said, letting his eyes rake down her body. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it since the first time I saw you."

She snorted and placed her hand on her hip. "Please. Of the two of us, I am not the looker here."

He closed the distance with two strides and cupped her face, tilting it up so she had to look him in the eye. "You're beautiful, Hermione."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she murmured.

He grinned at her. "That doesn't make it any less true," he said. "And despite how that sounded, there haven't been that many girls."

She laughed as her hand came up to rest on his chest. "Somehow I find it hard to believe that you're going through such a dry spell that you turn to me to help you." She blushed hard as she thought of the night she had seen him stroking himself.

"Yes or no, Hermione?" he asked, his voice dropping in tone. She saw the way his eyes dilated and as she shifted on her feet, she could feel his arousal pressing against her hip.

She nodded and swallowed hard. "Yes."

He smiled as he brought his mouth crashing down on hers. His other arm snaked around her back and pulled her close. Over the course of her various relationships through the years, no one had ever kissed her quite like this. She nearly melted into him as he thoroughly tasted her mouth, sending a familiar ache to the apex of her thighs.

He continued to kiss her mouth as he pulled her towards his room. They undressed as they went, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake. From the moment he laid her down on the bed to the moment she crawled out of it the next morning, they had devoured every inch of one another as many times as they could.

* * *

It had been pretty easy to go back to normal after that. Easier than Hermione had anticipated. She was still attracted to him and him to her, but a few weeks later when he left her a note saying he wouldn't be home because he had a date, she wasn't upset. If anything, it brought them closer together and he quickly became her best friend.

Over the course of two years, they had hooked up occasionally. Always when they were in between relationships. Something neither of them were very good at keeping for longer than a few months at a time.

One night, after a particularly long day at work, she had come home with the intention of asking to share his bed. It had been nearly three months since their last hook up; two months since her last flavor of the month, and she needed the escape he was good at giving her. But instead, she came home to a stranger on her couch.

An incredibly handsome stranger with platinum blond hair, sharp cheekbones, and a smoldering grey stare that made her mouth water. No one had the right to look that good. And where Theo tried his best to not look like the background he liked to hide, this stranger embodied it. He wore a tailored suit and carried himself like a god.

And he treated her like she was dirt.

Theo had come out of the shower with a towel looped around his waist and introduced the two of them. His name was Draco Malfoy and Theo had called him a friend. He had addressed her as Granger instead of her given name, so she called him Malfoy.

When Malfoy had gone to use the bathroom, Theo had asked her if it was alright if Draco stayed a few days. She nodded, her lips burning with the desire to ask if they were more than friends. He had never given her any indication of being into men. All of his dates and casual flings had been female; the ones she knew of anyway.

He had thanked her and even apologized in advance for Malfoy's behavior, saying that he wasn't always a prat; he just took some getting used to. She found that the nicer she was to him, the more it annoyed him and it gave her great pleasure. Theo only laughed and let her keep up her antics.

Over the next few months, Malfoy turned out to be a regular house guest. He wasn't around all the time, but he was there at least once a week. He alternated between staying in Theo's room and sleeping on the couch. Not once since he had started showing up did Hermione and Theo hook up, leading her to believe her suspicion about their relationship was correct. But she still hadn't mustered the courage to ask him about it. Even after months of Malfoy being around, Hermione still had no clue if they were or if they weren't. Which didn't help her situation in the slightest.

She _desperately_ needed to get laid.

It had been far too long since her last fling and she had given up asking Theo for those favors long ago. She had gone solo to try and relax, but it wasn't the same. She was wound so tight she was sure if she didn't get laid soon, she was going to explode. She was always on edge, snapping at her coworkers. Even her best friend Ginny had pointed out that she needed help. She offered her assistance as wing-woman whenever she was ready to hit the bar.

Her boss had sent her home early after nearly punching a long-term client. Flint would have had it coming either way. He was sleazy and she would be more than happy to lose him as a client. He made several advances, but no matter how desperate she was, she still wanted to be able to look at herself in the mirror the next morning.

She took the hottest shower she could manage and then slipped into a T-shirt that had seen much better days, but was great for lounging, and the perfect length to cover her knickers. Alone or not, both boys had seen her in this outfit more than once. Theo could care less since he'd seen her naked and Malfoy couldn't care less because to care meant he would have to look at her.

She plopped down on the couch and hugged her knees to her chest and turned on the television. She knew it wasn't just the not getting laid part that had her on the edge. It was the not knowing if her flat mate had a roommate. The fact that all of her friends were engaged, married, or having kids and she was still alone. She had tried, but no one interested her for more than a few weeks. No one except Theo and she had waited too long to cross that bridge now.

And she wasn't mad at Theo if Malfoy was his boyfriend. It was his business, not hers, but she was frustrated that he didn't trust her enough to tell her. That if the smug bastard had moved in, it was still her flat. He should have at least asked if it was alright. What bothered her the most was the thought of them being together and then wanting their own space. If Theo moved out, she would definitely be alone.

Before she could wallow any further, the door to the flat opened and she turned her head to see Theo over the back of the couch. He did a double take at the sight of her. "You're home early."

"Got sent home."

His eyes went wide at that. "Not feeling well?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she replied, sitting up on her knees so she could see him better. Watching as he walked over to the wine rack and poured two glasses of red. "But I nearly punched a client and my boss told me to take a half day."

"Flint?" he asked.

She nodded as he sank down on the cushion beside her and handed her a glass. She took it and sat cross-legged facing him, the arm of the couch at her back. "It wasn't entirely his fault, but he would have deserved it."

He patted his thighs and she stretched her legs across his lap. He handed her his glass after taking a sip and then started to massage one foot. "You have been a little wound up lately," he said, working at her instep with just the right amount of pressure.

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, lips pressed against the rim of her glass.

"Been awhile, hasn't it?" he asked, smirking up at her.

"Too long," she said, toes curling slightly as his fingers began to work up to her ankles.

"I'm surprised you haven't come to me sooner. I've been wondering why you haven't."

She took another sip to buy her a moment to think of a response. Something that was hard to do as his hands trailed up her calves and then her knees. "I wasn't sure…" she started, a low moan from the back of her throat cutting off her words as his fingers brushed the outside of her thighs.

He took their glasses and set them on the coffee table. Next, he slid off the couch and onto his knees facing her, pulling her towards the center of the couch. His fingers ghosted across her skin as he reached for the waistband of her knickers. "All you had to do was ask, Hermione."

She nodded and lifted her hips up so he could drag her knickers down her legs. "Theo," she started, voice trembling as he pushed her thighs open and settled between them. "I need you."

His index and middle finger formed a V around her core, making her hips buck reflexively, begging for his touch. "I didn't hear you ask me," he said, lips pressing lightly along her inner thigh.

"Please?"

"Please, what?"

"Theo, will you please put me out of my misery?"

He chuckled against her skin and pulled her head up slightly to stare at her. "So glad you asked," he said.

Hermione moaned loudly as he finally placed his mouth on her. His tongue ran the course of her slit and his moan sent small vibrations through her body. Her back arched off the couch as he tasted her, his fingers separating her folds to allow him better access. He alternated between flicking at her clit and plunging his tongue in and out of her core. She reached down with one hand to run her fingers through his brown locks and with her other hand, lifted her shirt so she could palm her breast.

She slid down to open herself to him more and he rewarded her by slipping two fingers inside of her. She moaned again as that familiar tingle formed at the back of her skull. She closed her eyes and wet her lips as she lost herself in his ministrations. They both knew it wouldn't be long, especially when she pressed down on his head and began to buck her hips wildly, riding his face and fingers.

Her eyes opened and she turned her head to the side. The tingle began to build and she cried out as her world started to shatter. It was then that she noticed movement from the corner of her eye. She tried to focus her gaze and when she did, she saw Malfoy watching her from Theo's bed through the half open door. His gaze was intense and the moment their eyes connected, she crested, falling apart at the seams.

Theo slowed his movements until she had successfully ridden out the waves of her release and then removed himself from her. She was torn between wanting to go all the way and knowing Malfoy was in the flat. She worried at her bottom lip as she debated on telling him his friend had seen them. If he was more than a friend, would this count as cheating?

"Hermione?" Theo's gaze was full of concern as he stared up at her. "You okay?"

She pressed her thighs together and nodded, very aware that if she didn't get up soon, she was going to muck up the leather of her couch with her slick. "Mmhmm," she mumbled and cleared her throat as she got to her feet, pulling her shirt down as far as she possibly could.

He wiped at his mouth and licked at his lips and fingers. Normally, that made her hot and bothered, but Malfoy was still watching them. Theo stood up to say something else when his phone rang. He fished it out of his back pocket and frowned at the caller ID. "Well, I was only coming home for lunch, so I'm sorry we don't have more time, but…" he pulled her to him to kiss her. She could taste herself on his lips and this time, despite the voyeur in the background, it did make her hot and bothered. He smirked into the kiss and pulled away reluctantly. "I'll get dinner tonight and we can pick up where we left off."

"S-sure," she said, smiling as he waved his goodbye.

Whether he knew that Malfoy was still in his room or not, he didn't let on. The moment he closed the door, she bent down for her knickers and hurried towards the bathroom. As she sank down onto the toilet seat, she heard movement from Theo's room followed by footsteps leading from it to the front door. Malfoy made his exit and Hermione sagged against the toilet, unsure how to feel.


	2. The Return

**TWO**

**The Return**

Either Malfoy hadn't told Theo what he had witnessed or Theo didn't care. Nothing had changed between them. The only difference in the flat was that she hadn't seen Malfoy since. If something had happened between the two friends, Theo didn't let it show. Even that night he had come home from work and after dinner, had finished what they started earlier, just as he said he would.

While Hermione didn't question it, she was left in a state of perpetual confusion.

So it was a total shock when, nearly two months later, she came home with dinner to find a familiar blond in her kitchen. He was pouring himself a glass of wine, but after seeing the look on her face, he smirked and reached for a second glass. "Nice to see you again, Granger."

She nodded and licked her lips nervously, flicking her gaze over to Theo's room. She already knew Theo wasn't home. He had left for a business trip earlier that morning and wouldn't be back until the day after the next. "How did you-"

"I met Theo this morning and he left me his key. He said you wouldn't mind," he said, frowning as he handed her the glass from over the bar that led to the entry where she still stood with her purse over her shoulder and takeaway in hand. "I take it he didn't tell you."

She took the glass and nodded her head slowly. "No," she replied, shaking her purse from her shoulder. "Must have slipped his mind."

His fingers drummed on the glass before he cleared his throat. "If you object, I can-"

"No, no, please," she said, smiling at him. "I just wasn't expecting anyone to be home," she added, shucking her shoes and moving to the table to unload her bag of food.

"Expecting company then?" he asked, eyeing the containers.

She blushed and moved so that he couldn't see her face. "I like having leftovers," she said. "But you're more than welcome to dig in."

She heard the sound of a cupboard opening and then he was at her side with two plates. "Thanks for the offer. And to think, I was about to order in as well. We could have fed the whole building."

She laughed and took a plate from him. She took what she wanted and then debated on whether or not she should take the plate to her room. "What a sight that would have been," she said and settled into a chair.

They ate in silence, both of them glued to their phones. The awkward tension grew, but they did their best to ignore it. This was the most interaction the two of them had had alone and it was also the nicest he had been to her so far. It was surreal and it left her squirming in her seat.

When she was done, she put her plate in sink and placed the leftovers in the fridge after making sure he was done too. She topped off their glasses and then cleared her throat. "Theo's not coming back for a bit."

"He told me about his trip."

She nodded and took a sip from her glass. The weight of her gaze was making her hot. "Thanks for keeping me company," she said. "Make yourself at home. If you need-"

"Planning on hiding in your room all night, Granger?"

Her lips had still been parted to finish her sentence, but they pressed into a thin line at his interruption. She thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. "Yes."

His head canted to the side and the smirk on his lips made Hermione bite her lip. She had nearly forgotten how ridiculously gorgeous he was. Arrogant asshole he might be. "Why?"

He was taunting her; she knew that and damn if it didn't work. He always knew how to get a rise out of her from a certain tone of his voice, tilt of his head, or that _fucking_ smirk.

"Couldn't be that you're avoiding me, is it?"

"If it's a question of who's avoiding who, I think you would take the cake on that one."

His eyes shimmered with amusement at her words. He lifted his glass to his lips and sipped slowly at the wine. He was watching her squirm and her hand tightened on her own glass in anger. "I wasn't avoiding you."

She snorted unceremoniously and tilted her glass up as well.

"What, you think that's the first time I've seen Theo go down on a woman?"

She choked on her drink, the liquid sputtering past her lips and dripping down her chin. She turned to the sink quickly, setting the glass down on the counter and reached for the paper towels. Her cheeks burned bright as Malfoy's hand shot out to hand her some. She cleaned herself up and then tried her best to compose herself; something that didn't last long when she stole a glance back up at him.

"Fuck," she muttered as her hands came up to cover her face, feeling utterly mortified.

"I know you saw me, Granger."

She nodded.

"The thing about communal spaces is that they don't tend to afford any privacy. Sorry you had to learn that the hard way."

She groaned and shifted her weight. She was never going to get a handle on her embarrassment if he wouldn't stop laughing at her. "I'm sure if Theo knew you were here-"

"He knew."

She squeezed her eyes shut tight, hoping that she would just disappear right then and there.

"I had taken a red-eye that night and got in pretty late. Who do you think let me in?"

She muttered a string of curses under her breath and moved her hands to her hair, risking the tangles that were sure to follow. "I'm sorry. I hope it didn't cause a strain between the two of you. He never said anything. And then you left… I'm sorry if it-"

His amusement faded a little as he narrowed his eyes to study her. "No need to apologize. It was my bad for pulling a peeping tom." He set his glass on the counter next to hers and placed his hands in his trouser pockets. "I was sleeping until I heard Theo come in. I hadn't even realized you had come home. If I had, I would have let you know I was there. As I said, my flight came in late and I knew I had another to catch that afternoon. By the time I realized the door was open you were already half way there."

She bit her lip and looked down. She was sure this was how she died. Right here, right now.

"I thought about closing the door, but I didn't want to risk being seen. If I had, it was either you thought of me as some sort of voyeur, which is what happened, or you would have made Theo stop." He smirked and his eyes darkened slightly. "And god knows you needed it."

She shivered as she recalled the way their eyes had locked as she came undone on Theo's tongue. And damn it if her knickers weren't soaked just thinking about it.

"And by then I figured you probably didn't want to see me right away, so I slipped out a little early to catch my flight. I was supposed to come back the following week, but some stuff went down with my family and work so I was delayed."

She could only nod as she reached for her wine, finishing off her glass and then reaching for his. She was ready to drain their entire stash at this point.

"Why would you think it would cause a strain between Theo and I?" he questioned.

She finished guzzling his glass and set it next to hers. "Because you two… You're… You know… Aren't you?"

His eyes went wide and then slowly he started laughing. He laughed so hard he bent over and grabbed his stomach. When he thought he was done, he looked at her and started laughing again. The outburst made her cross her arms and narrow her eyes at him.

"You thought Theo and I-" He laughed again, shaking his head. "I needed that, thanks Granger. I'm sure Theo will get a kick out of it too when I tell him." He ran a hand through his tousled platinum locks and smirked again.

"So…you're not a couple?"

"All this time you thought I was his boyfriend and you never thought to ask him? That's rich coming from the one that was actually fucking him."

She groaned in embarrassment again. Just what had Theo told him, she wondered. They hadn't really been together all that often in the past and definitely not when Malfoy started coming around. She had thought they were together; she definitely wasn't going to ask for him to share her bed when she thought he was already sharing it with someone else. "Maybe I just didn't want to get laughed at."

His grin was apologetic. "Sorry; I just thought you would find the situation awkward. I didn't know you thought I was avoiding you because Theo was cheating on me." He bit his lip to keep the in the laughter she heard in his voice. "I love Theo, I do, but no. We are not together."

She took a deep breath and tilted her chin up. "Well forgive me for thinking my meticulous, good-cook, model-eseque of a flat mate and his equally debonair friend, who is _always_ around have a thing going on. You even sleep in his room sometimes."

"I'm flattered you find me so attractive, Granger."

She huffed in frustration and waved him off dismissively. "I also told you the two of you possess all the qualities of a queer lifestyle and _that's_ what you focus on?"

He chuckled. "I quite like this side of you, Granger."

"And here I thought you hated me."

He shook his head. "I never hated you," he said, his voice surprisingly light.

"Theo did tell me you don't let people in very easily."

He gave a little nod of his head and gestured towards the couch. "Care to get to know each other better? Share more crazy assumptions about the other?"

She laughed at that and nodded. "Just let me get out of these clothes." His eyes flashed and heat spread through her face as she realized what she said. "Honestly, get your head out of the gutter," she said, shoving him lightly as she passed to change into something more comfortable.

She had gone to the bathroom to freshen up and then changed into her lounging clothes, opting for favorite T-shirt and shorts. When she emerged, she found him on the couch, similarly dressed in black and green checkered drawstring pants and a plain black shirt. She had seen him in loungers before, but it had never made her painfully aware of just how attracted she was to him. She blamed it on the wine.

"How long have you known one another?" she asked, sitting with her back to the arm of the couch, legs tucked under her as she leaned against the back of the couch at her side.

For the remainder of the night, she had learned a great deal about both Malfoy and Theo. They had known each other since they were born. Their families had been very close and still were. The hardest part to hear was about Theo's childhood. Malfoy didn't go into detail, but the implied abuse at the hand of his father made Hermione's heart break.

He told her that they had been shipped off to boarding school following their elementary years and all the things they got into while they were there. Not surprisingly, he admitted that he was quite a bully, but had Theo there to reign him in. They had even attended the same college and held the same internship before their careers set them on different paths.

That the reason he preferred to stay with Theo while he was in town was that he hated hotels and missed his friend.

She divulged her past as well, although hers was pretty normal. School, more school, a career she hated, and a new career she still wasn't too keen on, but had no idea what she really wanted to do with her life, so she stuck with it.

"You know, I think the most surprising thing about you is that you actually have a job," she said as she finished off another glass of wine. She had lost count and judging from the number of bottles on the table, she knew the hangover in the morning would be absolutely excruciating.

"Why?"

"Theo told me that your family was well off and you just seemed so…" She smirked around the rim of her glass. "Spoiled."

He put a hand over his heart and pulled his lips into a frown. "You wound me, Granger."

She shrugged. "How many vineyards did you say you had?"

"In which country?"

She smiled. "I've never even been outside of Britain."

"Well, say the word and I'd be happy to show them all to you."

She nodded and tipped her glass back to finish it off. When she leaned over to set it on the coffee table, she realized how close they had gotten. When she sat back, he was studying her and watching her lips. She cleared her throat and got to her feet. "I think I've had way too much to drink."

She swayed on her feet, but Malfoy was there to catch her. He slung her arm over his shoulder and placed a hand in the small of her back. "Then let's get you to bed."

They were at her bedroom door in a few strides and she squirmed away from him before he could help her past the threshold. "I got it from here," she said, finding herself trapped between his body and the door frame. "Thank you for tonight."

"Any time."

"Night," she said.

He leaned in until his lips were hovering over hers; millimetres out of reach. When he spoke, their lips brushed and a thousand butterflies took flight in her belly. "Good night, Granger."


	3. Rising Tension

**THREE**

**Rising Tension**

Hermione found herself in a very strange predicament. Ever since that night, something had changed between her and Malfoy. He still teased her relentlessly, but she started to dish it out just as much he did. Since that night, Malfoy's infrequent visits had become frequent again. More so than before, even. After about two months, he seemed to be there more than he wasn't.

At first, she had been tentative about him always being there. Mostly because how often she found herself wanting to kiss him. She could still feel the ghost of his lips brushing over hers when she thought about it. And even when he had told her that he had been a gentleman and hadn't taken advantage of her when she passed out in his arms a second later, she admitted to herself that she was disappointed. She frequently found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him for real.

Theo had started to notice the change in his best mate and his flat mate as well. At first, he was happy that Malfoy seemed to let her in and see the real him, but as time wore on, Hermione knew something was off between the two boys as well. It didn't help that she constantly felt as if she were walking in on them rowing about something in hushed voices more often than she cared to admit.

It didn't help her guilt that he found herself shamelessly flirting with both of them, regardless if the other was around or not. When she noticed Theo's attitude towards them change, she backed off from both of them. Regardless of her arrangement with Theo or her desire for Malfoy, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she came between them. When things became hectic at the office, she jumped at the chance for overtime and soon she only stopped by her flat to shower and sleep.

One night, she had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for her dinner to heat in the microwave. She had woken when she felt herself being lifted up. She blinked up at Theo who had gathered her into his arms and was carrying her to her room.

"You work too much," he chided as he dipped her carefully to avoid hitting her on the door frame while he reached for the handle.

"Once this deal goes through, I'll ease up on the overtime," she said as he set her down on the edge of the bed.

"It's not good for you. You're already starting to burn out."

She gave a half-hearted nod and raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn.

"I still have to go in tomorrow."

"On a Saturday?" he questioned, frowning at her.

She nodded. "It's just for a few hours."

He tucked her mussed up curls behind her ear and knelt down before her, fingers gently undoing the buttons on her blouse. She shot him a look to which he chuckled, but continued. "At least go in late tomorrow, yeah? Get a few extra hours of sleep and I'll make you a real breakfast."

"Yes, Mum," she teased as he pulled her shirt from her shoulders and set it on the bed next to her.

He continued to undress her until she was completely bare before him. She knew there was nothing sexual about the way he touched her at the moment but it stirred up the butterflies in her stomach all the same. He pulled the covers back for her and when she crawled under them, he tucked her in, dropping a kiss to her temple.

"I will wake you so you have enough time to shower and eat. I'll email your boss from your phone and let him know you'll be late."

She nodded and yawned again, turning her face into her pillow. Her eyes fluttered closed and she couldn't have opened them if the building were on fire. "Thank you."

Whatever he said next was lost to her as she fell asleep before the words had even left her own mouth.

True to his word, he had woken her the next morning. While she hadn't slept that much longer than she normally would have, it felt like she had. She took her time in the shower, already smelling breakfast before she even opened the door to leave the bathroom. She came to the table with wet hair and wearing her robe over fresh knickers. When Theo plated up a third serving, she realized Malfoy must be joining them as well.

"You look better," Malfoy said, as if on cue. "Coffee?"

"Please," she replied, watching the two of them going about the kitchen to wait on her. She was glad that they knew her well enough to not ask her how she took her coffee and when they joined her at the table, she wasn't surprised when it was perfectly made.

"Don't you start on me too," she said, looking at Malfoy.

"You're just lucky Theo was the one to put you to bed. If it was me, I would have emailed your boss that you'd be out all next week," he informed her, shoving a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Kingsley would fire me."

Malfoy simply shrugged and Hermione bit the inside of her cheek on the rest of what she wanted to say. She could sense a tension building between the three of them and after studying the two boys across from her, she knew it was coming from them.

When they were finished, Theo cleared the plates and told her to go finish getting ready for work. She nodded and returned to her bedroom to get dressed first before worrying about her hair and teeth. It was when she slipped her dress over her head that she heard the shower turn on and groaned. When she came out, Theo wasn't in the kitchen despite the fact he usually did dishes right away. His bedroom door was shut though and she sighed.

Whoever it was in the shower was going to have to share the bathroom with her.

She sighed as she gripped the handle and then stepped inside. Malfoy peaked around the shower curtain, hair dripping with water, glaring at her. "You didn't even knock."

"And give you the chance to tell me to piss off? Never," she said, reaching for her toothbrush. He stared at her as she wet the bristles and then squirted on some toothpaste. "Well go on," she said. "As you were. Don't mind me."

He disappeared behind the curtain and before she could help herself, her eyes lowered, resting on the outline of his cock through the curtain. He turned, unknowingly giving her a better profile and she cleared her throat, shoving her toothbrush into her mouth.

"Whoever designs only one bathroom into a place of residence with more than one room is a bloody fool."

She rinsed and spit into the sink. "Well, if you're tired of living in squalor, maybe you should find your own place."

"Tired of seeing my model-esque face, are you?" he asked, turning off the water.

Hermione's hand froze in its task of dropping her toothbrush back into the holder. "M-maybe." It was meant to be a tease, but it barely came out as more than a squeak.

She watched, rooted to the ground, as his hand shot out for a towel and a moment later, he pulled the curtain back. He had wrapped the towel low on his hips and was holding it closed with one hand, smirking at her. Her eyes traveled up to his hair where a thick drop of water splashed onto his shoulder. She tracked the movement as it went down the hard planes of his toned chest, the sculpted abdomen, and next to the sprinkling of blond hair that disappeared beneath the towel.

"Something tells me you're not."

"Shit, sorry!" she breathed, spinning around to let herself out. She slammed the door behind her and rested against it for a moment, muttering to herself. It was then that she realized she still had her hair to do, but refused to go back in there.

She did a double take at the sight of Theo at the kitchen sink, washing dishes. She pushed off the door and made her way to him. "Thank you again, Theo. For last night and today."

He nodded, but never looked from the sink. "Just don't burn yourself out."

"If I don't come home, just assume that I'm sleeping in my office," she said, smiling lightly despite the fact that he didn't look at her. She bit her lip from the tension and then heard the bathroom door open. Malfoy smirked at her as he emerged in his boxers before slipping into Theo's room and closing the door.

She dove back to the bathroom and set about taming her hair. It was always a task she hated, but today it seemed to cooperate with her more so than ever before. When it was dry enough, she threw it up in a loose pony, pulled at some strands to frame her face, and after applying a layer of moisturizer to her skin, she stepped out of the bathroom. She quickly dipped into her room for a light jacket and when she came out, Malfoy and Theo were staring and whispering angrily at one another.

They stopped when they noticed her and stepped away from each other. A flush of guilt coursed through her system as she thought of her encounter with Malfoy in the bathroom and ducked her head as she stepped into her shoes at the entrance. "Bye," she called as she slung her purse over her shoulder and stepped into the hall.

She had barely taken a few steps towards the lift at the end of the hall before she heard the door to her flat open behind her. "Hermione, wait."

She halted to see Theo approach her, a travel coffee mug in his hands. She took it and smiled at him. "Thank you."

He nodded and after a moment's pause, he leaned in and dropped a kiss to her cheek. She stared at him, watching as he turned and walked back inside. After a moment, she shook off her surprise and made her way to the lift.

* * *

Despite her best efforts to only work a few hours, Hermione ended up staying well after the sun had gone down. Part of it was that she just wanted to finish the task at hand and another was that she wasn't quite sure what to expect when she got home. At least in her office, she knew exactly what was expected of her. At home… Not so much.

While she had grown used to the tension that had sprung up between Theo and Malfoy, she knew in her gut it was getting worse. And as if she didn't feel like a guilty harlot already, Malfoy's comment at breakfast had amplified it. It made her wonder if they had spoken about who was going to care for her that evening. As if it were something they could have simply tossed a coin for and she would have been alright with either of them helping her.

She liked the attention, sure, but it was starting to get weird.

And Theo's kiss upon her departure wasn't helping. It was just making her more confused.

But she had to return home at some point. She had no intentions of sleeping in her office, much less when she didn't even have to work the next day. So she mustered up what little courage she had and made her way home. By the time she stepped into her building and entered the lift, she was ready to collapse on her bed again. If she was lucky, she would just sleep through Sunday and skip the melodrama.

But as she approached her flat, it was quite clear sleep wasn't happening for a little bit yet.

She heard the yelling when she was passing the door of her neighbors. It was muffled and had it been earlier in the day and not nearly so late at night, she might not have heard it. She paused when she recognized Theo and Malfoy's voice. Slowly, she continued on until she was at her door.

Her keys slipped from her hand as she heard her name being shouted like a curse. It was her given name, meaning it was Theo that shouted. She leaned in closer to the door, trying to focus on the words. It was hard to hear anything, given the thickness of the door, but they were definitely shouting. Most of what trickled through the barrier was muffled, but every so often, perhaps as they moved about the flat, she heard a word or two.

More than once she heard her name. Both first and last, depending on who was doing the shouting. When it was clear that they were fighting over _her_ , she jammed the key into the lock and opened the door. She did her best to pretend that she hadn't heard a damn thing and dropped her purse while kicking off her shoes like normal.

Both of them were in the living room, standing close enough that Hermione was glad she came in when she did. Any longer and she was sure fists would have started flying. When they noticed her, they did a double take and stepped back from each other. Theo gave one final glare at Malfoy and then stormed off to his room, the door nearly coming off the hinges as he slammed it shut.

Not wanting to know or be dragged into the middle of it, Hermione gave Malfoy a tight-lipped smile and then slunk towards her bedroom. She gently closed the door behind her and then sagged against it with a sigh. She heard and felt when the door to the bathroom closed from the force of which Malfoy shut it. She rolled her eyes and stripped down for bed.

She was glad to be so exhausted because instead of lying awake, staring at the ceiling as she went down a rabbit hole of emotions trying to figure the boys out, she was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.


	4. Taste Test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, this is probably my favorite thing I've ever written!

**FOUR**

**Taste Test**

Hermione woke to the sting of a full bladder. After fumbling for her phone, she was pleasantly surprised to see that she had managed to sleep in a few hours. Setting it back down, she grabbed her usual T-shirt and a clean pair of knickers before opening her door. She hesitated in the threshold at the sight of Malfoy emerging from Theo's room at the same time.

He gestured towards the bathroom and she inclined her head in thanks before ducking into it. When she was finished, he went in after her and then joined her in the kitchen. It was when she stretched her arms up to reach the bowls that she realized she hadn't grabbed bottoms to cover her knickers.

She stilled for a moment as she debated going and putting something more decent on, but her stomach growled and she decided it could wait a moment. He'd seen her in this outfit several times before. As she separated the bowls, Malfoy's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Theo's not here."

She nodded and put a bowl back in the cabinet before opening the next one for the cereal. "Preference?" she asked.

"Whatever you grab," he replied as he set about making a pot of coffee. "How much did you hear?" he asked as she filled the bowls.

"Not much," she answered honestly. "Enough to be surprised to see you." She turned to open the fridge and paused to look at him. "Are you guys alright?"

His lips quirked into a smirk as he leaned against the counter, his back to the coffee pot. His arms were crossed over his abdomen, giving her a very good view of his bare chest. "Asking me if there's trouble in paradise?"

She couldn't help but snicker and open the fridge for the milk. "Yes, actually."

"We'll be fine," he assured her as she turned to pour the milk into the bowls and return the carton. He grabbed two spoons from the drawer and they moved to the table to eat.

Hermione sat on one leg, the other resting on the rung of the chair as it never reached the ground anyway. "I hope so. You two have been fighting for quite a while lately. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"We noticed you noticing."

She chuckled as he smirked at her. She dragged her spoon through the contents of her bowl, making sure all of the pieces were thoroughly dunked in the milk before raising a spoonful to her mouth. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

He inclined his head. "I don't want to."

She swallowed and tipped her head to the side. "You sure?"

His brow rose at her and he shook his head. She smiled at him and they set about finishing their breakfast in silence. Neither of them was ready for a conversation; not before the coffee hit anyway. She cleared the bowls and rinsed them in the sink as he grabbed two mugs and prepared their coffee.

She hopped onto the counter, leaning back slightly, head resting against the cabinets as she watching him. His back was just as sculpted as his front and she found herself wondering if he played sports, worked out, or was just blessed with perfect genetics. She wasn't surprised when he turned to hand her a cup to find her ogling him.

She smiled sheepishly at being caught and accepted the cup, cheeks turning nearly as hot as the liquid in her hand. "Out with it, Granger. I can hear you thinking from over here."

She brought the mug up to her face and blew gently across the top. "Just wondering if you work out or if you were just unfairly gifted with perfect genetics."

For a moment, she thought she saw the faintest trace of a blush tinge his cheeks pink. He ducked his head and laughed. "Theo and I were on the swim team together while in boarding school and in college. I don't do it regularly anymore, but I do hit the gym from time to time. Glad to see it's still paying off."

Her heart skipped a beat as she watched him take a sip of coffee. She rather liked him like this; bed-ridden hair, drawstring pants low on his hips, and the flush to his cheeks. He looked delectable in a suit, but he looked ten times better like this. Real. Raw.

She pulled herself from that train of thought and realized that he wouldn't have known she was staring again because he was too busy staring at her thighs. His eyes continued to rake up and down her bare skin in a way that made her knickers wet and she squirmed. His eyes dropped to the floor and he tapped his mug before he set it on the counter.

Hermione inhaled sharply as he crossed the room, stopping once he wedged himself between her thighs. He reached up slowly and took her mug from her hands, setting it down on the counter off to the side. At first, his hands dropped to the counter beside her, caging her in. The inside of his wrists brushing her skin as she shifted. Then he moved them to rest on her skin, just above the knee, his palms flattening and then running up the sides of her thighs, coming to a stop low at her hips. Her hands gripped at her T-shirt as she fought the urge to touch him in return.

Her breathing was shallow as her body tingled from not only his touch, but his proximity as well. His eyes had darkened considerably as he stared at her. He was tall enough that her being on the counter left them eye-to-eye. She held his gaze as his fingers curled around the fabric of her knickers and gave the slightest tug.

"Malfoy…"

"Tell me to stop," he challenged, leaning in, lips grazing her ear. "Tell me that you haven't thought about this since we first met." His fingers tugged again and her hips came up enough for him to slide her knickers down from her rear. Her head tipped back a little and his lips grazed the column of her throat. "Tell me you don't want this."

A shiver crept up her spine as his fingers left her knickers, having pulled them as far down as he could without stepping away from her. She felt his touch ghost across her skin, jumping at the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. She arched into him, body begging for his touch, and he pressed his lips firmly against her throat. His tongue darted out to taste her skin as his fingers skimmed her core, drawing a moan from her.

"I want to see if you taste as good as Theo says you do," he rasped against her throat.

She should have shoved him away. She should have smacked him across the face and demand he leave. She should have reamed him and Theo both a new one. But _god damn_ it if it didn't sound so fucking good. With the amount of desire that went straight to her core, she thought she was going to flood the counter. It seemed the words did the trick and she surged forward.

She cupped his face in her hands and brought his mouth roughly to hers. His hands went straight to her waist to pull her flush against his chest, forcing a squeak out of her. He took advantage of the moment her lips parted with the sound and shoved his tongue into her mouth. She slid a hand back to thread it through his hair, tugging it here and there.

The kiss was hot and heavy as he tasted her mouth greedily. The sheer force of it left her breathless. Together they formed a tornado over a volcano. A malevolent hailstorm in the dead of night. A raging sea threatening to pull them asunder.

He groaned loudly as she sucked in his bottom lip and bit down. When she released him, she felt him smirk against her for a moment before wrapping his arms around her back and lifting. Her thighs squeezed against his hips as he brought her away from the counter and towards her bedroom.

She bounced off the bed with an oomph. Her hands reached down to the hem of her shirt and she tugged up at the same time Malfoy took hold of her knickers and tore them down her legs. In the time it took her to scoot back against the pillows, Malfoy was out of his pants and crawling up the space between her legs. Hermione propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Malfoy tasted her for the first time.

Her eyes closed and she tipped her head back, her hair trickling her shoulders as it moved. The moan he made as his tongue ran the length of her slit made her legs tremble. He wasted no time in hooking her thighs over his arms and pressing down on them to open her even wider. His tongue flicked at her clit in rapid succession, already threatening to tear her apart.

Her elbows gave out and she ground her head against the pillows as her back arched off the bed. Moans came fast and loud from her lips as she reached down to sink her fingers into his hair. And when he abruptly stopped his assault against her clit in favor of sucking it between his lips, she cried out and crested.

He slowed his movements, extending her high and easing her back to reality with expert skill. When her body sank into the mattress, bones turned to jelly, he ran his tongue once more through her folds before climbing his way up to her mouth. He kissed her hips and stomach before pausing to pay attention to her breasts. His teeth grazed over the taut peaks of her nipples for a moment before he settled his forearms on either side of her head and leaned in for another kiss.

She moaned at the taste of herself on his tongue. Her knees bent so that she could cradle his body to hers. Her hips canted wantonly as his throbbing cock brushed her inner thigh. He laughed into her mouth and reached down to guide himself into her entrance. He didn't pause to seek final permission, instead, lined himself up and snapped his hips, filling her.

Her arms wrapped around him so that her hands could explore the muscles of his back. Her nails scraped up and down here and there. Her body rose off the bed, sticking to his. Her breasts flattened against his chest. He kissed her hard as he set a brutal pace of thrusting in and out of her. When they were gasping for air, he pulled his lips from hers, but kept his cheek pressed against hers.

She could tell they were both close to the finish line. Her walls were fluttering around him, trying to draw him in deeper. His thrusts became more erratic, causing them to get out of sync. Her nails dug in and raked up his back as her release slammed through her. He let out a groan, went still as his seed pumped out of him, filling her core, and then dropped his head to the crook of her neck, placing soft kisses along her skin.

They stayed where they were, even after he softened and fell out of her. When their breathing regulated a little, he lifted his head and smiled down at her, brushing the hair from her face. She sighed as she ran her hand over his sides, enjoying the way he squirmed when she hit a particularly sensitive spot on the right.

"So do I?" she questioned.

His brow furrowed.

"Taste as good as Theo told you I would."

He cursed under his breath and dipped his head for another crushing kiss. "Better," he murmured against her lips before sliding off to the side. He pulled her with him and she curled up on her side against him while he lay on his back, his bicep as her pillow. "Makes me hate myself a little for waiting so long."

"Mmhmm," she muttered, pushing herself up a little. "And just how often does Theo _share_ these little tidbits about me with you?"

His eyes widened as the humor disappeared from them. He could sense her rising anger and was quick to defend himself before she lashed out. "In our defense, he made an obscure comment once at a bar about it. Typical guy conversation. How was I supposed to know I would end up meeting you?"

"What was the comment?"

This time, his cheeks turned a darker shade of pink. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath before answering. "He said he hooked up with his hot new flat mate and…" he swallowed again, bracing himself. "And that he had never tasted anything so good."

Hermione let him suffer for another moment in thinking that she was going to hit him before she burst out laughing. Relief flooded his features and he smiled at her as she pushed away from him to lie on her back as well.

"So who was better?"

She turned her head to look at him so sharply her vision blurred for a moment, but he was already scooting away from her, laughing hard. "Kidding!"

She had half a mind to tell him Theo just to bring his ego down a notch, but didn't want to open up the can of worms of comparing the two. It was strange enough knowing she'd done the deed with both of them as it was. So she settled for a hard shove, effectively pushing him off the bed to land on his rear, breaking his laughter.

"Serves you right," she said, sliding off the bed and walking to the bathroom to clean up. He followed her to do the same and then they returned to her room to redress. At that point, he fished for his phone from the pocket of his loungers and cursed under his breath. "What?" she asked.

He sighed and shoved his phone back in his pocket. He pulled her to him and kissed her again, this time tenderly. He pulled away only to rest his forehead against hers and sighed again. "I have to go."

"Work?"

He nodded as he pulled away to head to Theo's room for real clothes. She returned to the kitchen, drinking her now too cold coffee. He came out a few minutes later fully clothes in his usual tailored suit. "I promise, Granger. I'm not the type to usually eat and run, but I have to go. When I get back, we can talk, yeah?"

Only Malfoy could deliver such a crass statement that made her ache with want one moment and then set a thousand butterflies loose in her stomach the next. She nodded and watched as he looked at his phone for a moment and then back at her, conflict clear in his grey eyes.

She stepped closer to him and cupped his jaw with one hand. "Go do your work thing, Malfoy. I believe you."

"Draco," he corrected her, leaning his forehead against hers for a moment before pressing his lips gently to hers. "See you in a bit, Granger."

"Hermione," she returned to which he laughed and kissed her again.

"Not a chance," he said with a wink as she laughed and shoved him away from her. He was gone a moment later.

She laughed until she took another sip of her coffee, grimacing at the fact it was no longer cold, then spit it back into the cup. She dumped both of their drinks down the sink and made her way to the bathroom again. As she stepped under the hot spray of the shower, she was struck with several thoughts at once; not sure how to handle any of them.

Should she tell Theo? Should Malfoy tell Theo? Should they tell him together? Should they talk first and figure out what they wanted before they told Theo? Would Theo still want to be friends with them? Did they need to tell Theo since he was her flat mate and not her boyfriend? Wasn't it Theo that said he didn't want anything more than the benefits; no strings attached?

She groaned as she forced the thoughts away and leaned forward, head against the tile.

" _Fuck_."


	5. Speechless

**FIVE**

**Speechless**

Hermione knew if she stayed at home, she would go insane. Her thoughts were already giving her a headache and the indecision was nearly crippling. She felt as though she were in a permanent loop of one very fucked up Catch 22. Every time she thought she settled on a decision, she found another worst-case scenario and thus opened up another rabbit hole.

Getting out was the best thing for her.

She had called Ginny from the car and asked her to come shopping with her. Her friend had been all too eager to get out of the house as well. By the time they met, it was time for lunch so they made that their first stop. Ginny had figured something was a little off and asked if Hermione wanted to talk about it. She did want to talk about it, but she didn't know where to start and talking meant she had to think about it first.

She didn't want to think about it.

So they went to a pub, drank too much with lunch, and then spent the afternoon trying on clothes from stores they knew damn well and good they couldn't afford. It was fun until the alcohol started to wear off and she thought about Malfoy as she stared at herself in a silky green dress. She had never felt more ashamed of her wardrobe than she did in this moment and wondered if he would expect her to step up her game if they started dating. Just as she started to undress, she thought for a moment if Theo would also approve of the dress.

After that, Ginny demanded some sort of sweet and they made their way to their favorite ice cream parlor. They took their confections to the park across the street and gossiped about whatever they wanted while watching people go about their day.

When they parted ways for the evening, Hermione sat in her car in the public parking garage for a very long time. She browsed social apps on her phone and played some games; all in the name of procrastination. It was a text from Theo that made her suck it up and go home. She was both happy and disappointed to see his name flash across her screen.

She hadn't heard from Malfoy all afternoon.

Hoping that he might have sent her even one message since his departure made her wonder if he was either just as nervous about it as she was or if their talk wouldn't end very well after all. Maybe he would pull a Theo and ask for a friend's with benefits situation.

That thought made her angry at both of them.

_Hey, I'm stopping at that Chinese place you like on Central. You home?_

She read his message again and then replied to him.

_I hope that was an offer to get me food too._

_Of course. Be home soon._

She smiled to herself and set her phone in the cupholder before turning on the car and finally going home. When she got there, she noticed Theo's car parked in its spot next to hers in his assigned spot. She got out of the car, taking what few things she did pick up while she was out, and got in the lift. She took a moment to compose herself outside the door before opening it and stepping inside.

Theo was standing at the table, still taking the containers out of the carry out bag. He looked up and smiled at her before noticing her bags. "Looks like you had fun today."

"I had lunch with Ginny. Turned it into an impromptu girl's afternoon," she said, removing shoes and purse. "Smells good," she said as she passed him on the way to her room to set her goods down.

"Glad you got out for a bit. You definitely needed it."

They sat and tucked into their food, silence settling over them temporarily as they ate. "Where'd you run off to so early this morning?" she asked.

"Had a few errands to run that I've been putting off and then had lunch with Blaise."

She recognized the name a little. "Zabini? He's one of the boys you and Malfoy went to school with, right?"

She watched him closely to see how he reacted to the mention of Malfoy. Theo always reacted strongly when he was truly upset. But there was nothing to indicate that he knew. If he did know anything, he wasn't upset as far as she could tell. He nodded and carried on. "He's in town for a cousin's wedding so we met him for lunch."

She nodded and then heard what he said. "We? As in you went with someone to meet Blaise?"

He looked at her with a strange expression. "Yeah, Draco," he replied, his head tipping to the side. "Did he not mention that to you when you saw him this morning?"

She swallowed hard and shook her head. "He said he had a work thing," she stated as she reached for her wine, drinking quite a bit of it.

He chuckled a bit. "Sort of true. He and Blaise are working on their next vineyard purchase in Tuscany. When they started talking business, I went to run some other errands."

"Ah." She cleared her throat and toyed with her food. "So you and Malfoy are over whatever it was you were fighting about?"

He shrugged. "Hard to say."

Hermione clamped down on all other questions she had swirling around in her mind. It was obvious from his tone that he didn't want to talk about it. If Malfoy had told Theo about their encounter this morning, Theo still wasn't giving her any signal that he cared one way or the other.

She gulped as she started to panic.

The not knowing was killing her.

"You okay?" he asked her, eyes narrowed and full of concern.

She poked at a piece of chicken a few times before she set her fork on her plate and sighed. "Just more tired than I thought. I think I might turn in early since there's more overtime next week. Thanks for dinner," she rambled.

Once she was on her feet, she bolted for the bathroom and shut the door. She went about her nightly routine as if being on autopilot would help her focus her thoughts. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and relieved herself before washing her hands and going to her room.

She laid on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She considered taking something to help her sleep, but when she was this wound up, it usually just made it worse and ensured that she wouldn't get any sleep. After a minute that felt like eternity, she reached for her phone and pulled up Malfoy's name in her texts.

_Not sure if you're coming back tonight, but if you are, I'm-_

She sighed and erased it. She typed message after message, deleting each of them. She wanted to know if she should expect him back or not, but every way she worded her message, she felt clingy. In the end, she closed out of the app and set her phone on her stomach.

A moment later it buzzed, tickling her.

She brought it back up to see and smiled at a message from Malfoy. As she opened it, she panicked thinking she had accidentally sent one of her rejected drafts, but there was nothing from her. He had texted her first.

_Not making it back tonight. We'll talk soon. Promise._

She frowned in disappointment; at least he had given her a head's up. It was something.

_Night, Malfoy._

_Draco._ Followed immediately by, _Night Granger._

She smiled and set the phone back on her nightstand. His message eased some of her fears at least. Her mind relaxed ever so slightly. Only to tense back up as a light knock sounded on her door. She called for Theo to come in and sat up as he came to sit next on the bed next to her.

"I know you're way too wound up to sleep and taking something will make it worse. Anything I can help with?"

"I know it's none of my business, but I did hear my name quite a bit in your fight last night, Theo. I've been going out of my mind wondering if I did something."

He reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"What is it then? Are you moving out? You know I can only live on take out for so long. You haven't even taught me how to cook yet."

His eyes went wide before he roared with laughter. "I'm not going anywhere, Hermione. And I'm certainly not going to let you waste away without a few lessons. Although I'm not really sure you're teachable. You're a lost cause when it comes to the kitchen." He moved closer to her and put an arm around her back.

She laid her head on his shoulder and leaned against him. "Then what is it?" she asked, her voice quiet.

He hesitated for longer than she liked before he gave a half-assed answer. "Draco and I have some of our own stuff to sort out. Once we do, I'll tell you, okay?"

"Please make it soon, because I know you two have been at it for awhile. And Malfoy told me the two of you have discussed that I'm catching on to whatever rift is between you."

He nodded above her and then pulled her from his shoulder so he could tilt her head up and look her in the eye. "Soon," he promised. Her breath hitched as he closed the distance between them and pillowed his lips against hers. "I bet I can get your mind off of it," he said, his fingers skimming up and down her shoulder. "It'll help you sleep."

She hesitated for a moment. She thought of Malfoy and their eventual talk. Of their tryst this morning. Of the road they had followed to get there. She also thought of Theo and how many times they'd offered this exchange to each other. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary for them. And sleep sounded _good_.

So she nodded and sought his lips again.

They wasted no time in divulging each other of what few articles of clothing remained. She sighed into his kiss, enjoying the way her thoughts began to shut themselves up one by one. Every press of his lips to hers turned the volume down just a little more.

The last one to surface was a flicker of comparison of his kiss to Malfoy's and she shivered at the thought.

He pushed himself back so that he was sitting closer to her headboard, shoving her pillows out of the way as he went. Then he reached for her and drew him over his lap. She straddled his waist and lost her fingers in his curly brown hair.

Theo reached between them, parting her folds. She moaned low in her throat and he nibbled at her bottom lip. His index and middle finger pressed together as he cradled her clit in the valley they formed and began to strum her like a well primed instrument. She could hear how wet she was already in the otherwise quiet of her room.

Hermione pulled her face from his as her head tilted back in need of hair. She had reached up to grip the top her headboard, pressing his face between her breasts. He divided his attention between them, nipping, suckling, and licking at her nipples in a way that drove her mad. She shifted her hips so he could slip his fingers inside her body. He curved his hand so he could drive his fingers in and out of her while the heal of his palm gave her clit the friction it needed.

"Theo, I'm-" her voice cracked as a strangled cry escaped her lips, her orgasm tearing through her.

She had barely come down from her high when she felt Theo withdraw his hand and take hold of his cock. He rubbed himself through her folds, coating himself in her arousal. When she felt his head at her entrance, she sank down without warning. He groaned and bit down harder on her nipple, his fingers digging into the flesh on her hips.

She angled herself and began to ride him. He simply held on, letting her set the pace. From the groans of approval coming from him, she knew neither of them were going to last long. She could feel every inch of him every time she lifted and settled herself down on top of him. When she shifted her hips again, she whimpered and dropped one her hands from the headboard to his hair, tugging his head back so she could kiss him.

"Come with me," he panted into her mouth.

She nodded, already feeling her release again. He tensed beneath her and when he tightened his grip on her hips, they both cried out for one another. That white-hot pleasure coursed through her system and she could feel his cock pulsating inside of her as he emptied himself inside of her.

She sagged down against him, their foreheads against one another's. His hands stayed at her hips, but they weren't digging in anymore. Instead, they were stroking her skin idly. She had both hands on the back of his head as they caught their breath. He tipped his head up to kiss her slowly until she could feel the aftermath of their coupling beginning to run out of her body, effectively pushing his softening cock out of her.

They groaned together as she slid off his lap and headed straight for the bathroom. As she sat on the toilet to clean herself up, he entered to do the same and she was jarred with a sense of déjà vu. She swallowed hard and tried her best to shove it aside with everything else. When they left the bathroom, he pressed her up against the wall between her door and the bathroom door. He grabbed her face and laid his lips upon hers again, his mouth moving over hers in a way that made her knees knock together.

The only reason she pulled herself away from his kiss was the yawn that parted her lips. When she tipped her face back up, they both laughed. "I guess it worked," she teased. "Thank you."

"Go get some sleep, Hermione. I'll see you in the morning," he said, kissing her briefly again before stepping away from her.

She nodded and slipped into her room. She closed the door and crawled into bed. Had she not been so exhausted or conflicted, she would have asked him to stay the night in her room. She wouldn't have been able to tell he was there anyway seeing as how she was asleep within minutes.

* * *

When the alarm on her phone went off the next morning, Hermione wanted to throw the damn things across the room. While Theo had indeed helped quiet her mind enough to fall asleep, it wasn't enough to give her a restful night's sleep. Instead, she had been plagued with a string of dreams that left her bathed a cold sweat when she finally woke. She couldn't remember the actual dreams, just the feeling of dread and confusion that fogged her mind the next morning.

She snoozed the alarm twice more before finally throwing on the clothes Theo had removed from her the night before and made her way to the bathroom, not even checking to see if anyone else was awake or inside. She barely registered the smell of bacon wafting through the air as she closed the door.

She took her time in the shower, letting the water soothe the tension in her shoulders; not feeling the slightest bit of guilt from potentially using all the hot water. When she stepped out of the tub, she forced herself to pick up the pace a little bit otherwise she would be late to work. She gave her hair a quick blow dry, enough so that it would be completely dry before she left the house, applied her moisturizer, and brushed her teeth before reaching for her robe on the back of the door.

When she stepped out of the bathroom again, she stopped short at the sight in the kitchen. As usual, Theo was preparing breakfast, which from the looks of it, was almost done and Malfoy was waiting for the coffee pot to finish so he could pour them each a cup. They were talking to each other as they normally would; as if nothing had happened between them the night before last.

As if she hadn't slept with both of them in the same day.

When they noticed her, they both smiled warmly at her. "I know you're running a little late, so I'll fix yours to go," Theo said.

"I'll get your coffee," Malfoy volunteered.

She narrowed her eyes at both of them, gaze flickering back and forth between the pair. "Thanks."

"Go finish getting ready," Theo said, pointing his spatula towards her bedroom.

She gave a meek nod and slowly ducked back inside her room. She rested against her door trying to figure out what sort of alternate reality she had just stumbled upon. After a minute of chewing at her lip, she pushed herself away from the door and got ready for work. When all she had left to put on was her shoes and her purse, she tried her best to prepare herself mentally before she opened the door and met them in the kitchen.

True to his word, Theo had a little to-go bag for her. That wasn't too far out of the ordinary; it _was_ something he did for her more often than not, especially since she had started working the overtime. "Just promise you'll eat it all and not forget about it when you get there, yeah?" he asked, coming to stand by her at the edge of the counter.

"Promise," she said, lips tugging into a brief smile. He knew her so well.

He nodded and gave her a dazzling smile of his own. As she took the bag he offered her, he reached up with his other hand and cupped the side of her jaw. She went stiff as a board at his touch, her eyes flickering to Malfoy over his shoulder. The blond watched with a blank expression as Theo's lips closed over hers. Her eyelids fluttered as Theo's tongue swept across her lips, making her gasp a little. He took the opportunity to caress her tongue with his, tasting her sweetly.

And as quick as it started, he pulled away.

Hermione's eyes snapped open to stare at him, a shocked expression blowing her chocolate eyes wide. He simply smiled back at her and stepped away.

She simply continued to stare after him, not trusting her voice to sound dignified in any way shape or form. As she was about to force her feet to turn for the door, Malfoy came to fill the spot Theo had vacated, hand outstretched with her travel mug of fresh coffee. As her fingers curled around the mug, she gasped again as he copied Theo by cupping her jaw.

He pressed his thumb to her jaw to tip her head up to his and then dipped down to brush his lips over hers. Instead of asking for permission like Theo had, he demanded entry into her mouth. Her body obeyed immediately, his tongue clashing with hers as he tasted her mouth like a dying man being led to water.

When he pulled his mouth from hers, Hermione swayed on her feet. She cleared her throat and licked her lips, tasting both of them on her tongue. She felt her cheeks burn as her fingers tightened so hard on the mug she thought it might shatter.

"Have a good day at work," Malfoy said, moving to join Theo at the table.

"Uh huh," was the best she could manage. She stared at the two of them for another moment before she turned as if in a trance towards the door. Dumbfounded, she put on her shoes, hoping it was a matching pair because her brain couldn't focus enough to tell and slung her purse over her shoulder. Not brave enough to give them one last look, she opened the door and practically ran for the lift.


	6. Fury and Tequila

**SIX**

**Fury and Tequila**

Mostly, Hermione was mad at herself.

Mad that she had somehow gotten herself into the strangest lust triangle one could possible find themselves in. Mad that she had acted like a harlot without any care about anyone's feelings. That she had slept with not one, but _both_ of the them. That she didn't care about the fact that they were friends long before she came into their lives. That she might be the one to drive them apart. And after this morning, she was sure they both knew about her escapades with the other.

The part of her that wasn't mad at herself was _furious_ with both of them.

Furious that, apparently, they discussed her and what she did with them more than she initially thought. Furious that, instead of talking to her first, they decided to pull this little stunt and utterly fuck with her mind. Furious that neither of them had bothered to clue her in on any of this, choosing to leave her in the dark instead.

She knew by the time she got to the office that she was _not_ going to play this little game of theirs.

All day she stared at the breakfast Theo had bagged for her, the contents of which she did not eat, and the coffee she didn't drink beside it. All day she dealt with the shitstorm of emotions that roiled through her body until she was spent and numb. By the time the end of the day came around, she decided she certainly wasn't going home tonight until she had some time to sort her shit out without either of them hovering around like she knew they would.

She had purposefully put her phone on mute instead of vibrate and left it in her purse all day as well. She knew she wasn't in the right frame of mind when she didn't experience any curiosity nagging at her to check the damn thing. It wasn't until she was in her car about to leave for the day that she pulled the phone from her purse and turned it on.

There weren't any missed calls; they both knew better as she was at work for the day, but there were plenty of messages from the two of them. She bit back a little residual anger at the possibility that they had discussed who would say what and when to her.

She read Malfoy's texts first.

_I realize that probably wasn't the best way to start that conversation, but I hope we didn't scare you off, Granger._

She read the first one twice and worried at her bottom lip mercilessly. What bloody conversation?

_Can you talk at lunch?_

_I'm sorry. I understand if I made you uncomfortable in your own house. I won't be there tonight._

The last one had come through only a few minutes before she had gotten in her car. Her lips stretched into a humorless smile at the thought of making them both on edge from her silent treatment.

Good.

She backed out of her messages from Malfoy and tapped on Theo's name.

_We should have talked to you first. I know you're pissed at us both and I don't blame you. It would have made more sense. I'm sorry. We're sorry._

_This isn't a conversation we should have over text. If you're up for it, we'd like to take you to lunch. If not, we understand._

We?

_I'm worried, Hermione. It's just me at home. I can fetch us dinner if you'd like._

Not sure what to say to either of them, Hermione tossed her phone back in her purse, leaving it on mute still, and turned over the ignition. She pulled out of her parking spot and drove. She didn't have a destination in mind, she just knew she wasn't going home. When she did come to a stop, she saw that she had parked outside of Ginny's flat. Without hesitating, she got out and ran up the steps to knock on the door.

Ginny's eyes were wide as she took in the sight of Hermione on her stoop. "Hey," she greeted, stepping aside to let her in. "You alright?"

"No," she replied, going straight to the liquor cabinet and grabbing the bottle of tequila she knew Ginny only kept around for her. Forgoing a shot glass, she tipped the whole bottle to her lips and drank two shots worth before pulling her mouth away with a grimace.

"That bad, huh?"

Hermione turned to see Ginny's fiancé Harry come out of the kitchen. "That's the thing," she said, brandishing the bottle at him and Ginny as she came to stand at Harry's side. "I still don't know if it's good or bad." She took another drink. "It's fucked up, that's for sure, but…" She shook her head and leaned against the wall.

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Ginny asked.

Her eyes widened as her face flushed. "Oh shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to barge in, I just…"

"I insist," Harry said, stepping forward to take the bottle from her. He set it down on the cart after recapping it and then reached for her hand. "And then I'll take my leave so you can tell Ginny all about whoever's ass is about to get kicked or not kicked."

Hermione roared with laughter as she smiled at Harry. "Thank you," she said. "I'm still sorry about the intrusion," she added sheepishly as she followed them through the archway into the kitchen.

"Nonsense," Ginny said, plating a portion of dinner for her.

"You don't have to leave your own house," she told Harry as she sat next to him.

"Believe it or not, Mione, I was actually going to the pub with Ron."

"On a Monday?" she asked with disbelief. "Even Ron knows better than to get pissed on a work night."

"We're on the upside of twenty-five. Neither of us is getting pissed and if we do, _then_ you can yell at us," he said, giving her a wink.

She asked how Ron was doing. He might have been the love of her childhood years and he was Ginny's brother, but they were both far past those feelings. She made a mental note to catch up with him one of these days. Maybe once she was done drowning in her current boy drama.

Mostly, she ate and listened to the two of them talk. Their wedding was coming up soon. Hermione realized she still had a lot to do as far as maid of honor duties and told Ginny they needed to have a real sit down about that sooner rather than later.

As Harry and Ginny said their goodbyes at the front door, Hermione retreated to the living room and pulled out her phone. She opened Malfoy's text first again.

_Theo says you still aren't home. Pissed at us or not, let one of us know you're alright, Granger._

She snorted at his demand.

Theo's message was mostly the same, but not as demanding.

_I realize I have no grounds to be upset with you, so I won't be, but will you at least let me know you're okay? Please._

She huffed and tapped the back of her phone. After a moment to gather her wits, she drafted a message in a group text to the both of them.

_I'm fine. When the two of you are together, one of you give me a call. Malfoy, you don't have to kick yourself out._

The moment she pressed send, she grabbed the bottle of tequila and headed to the back patio. She had barely sat down on the lounger when her phone lit up with Malfoy's name on the screen. She waited a moment before she answered it and lifted it to her hear.

"Are you both there?" she asked.

"We're here, Hermione," Theo said.

She nodded to herself. "I'm staying at Ginny's tonight," she said, knowing it was going to be a long night. She had crashed on that couch many times. She pressed the bottle to her lips and took a very large swig, one that she nearly choked on. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "What the fuck was that this morning?" she asked, surprising herself at the amount of anguish in her voice. "I'm not really sure what kind of game you're both playing at, but-"

"It's not a game," Malfoy interrupted. "Just a poor choice for a conversation starter."

"And what, pray tell, the _hell_ kind of conversation am I supposed to anticipate based on… _that_?" She heard them speak to each other in the background and she took another drink.

"I get you don't want to come tonight, but will you come home tomorrow? The three of us can talk about everything after dinner," Theo suggested.

The alcohol was as quick to curb her anger as it was to start it; exhaustion from her emotional day catching up to her. "And you'll give me a straight answer? Both of you? No more pussyfooting around the subject?"

"Every question," Theo promised.

"All eight-hundred of them," Malfoy chimed in and she snorted. Of course he would mock her, even now. A grin quirked her lips as she heard a quick "ow" from Malfoy and Hermione imagined the smack Theo must have delivered.

She took another drink as she cursed her curiosity. Not only was it wanting to know what it was that drove them to do what they had, but she wanted more. For the first time, she let her mind wonder about the possibilities of not having them both, but sharing them. She shivered at the thought.

"Hermione?"

She cleared her throat at Theo's voice and took a deep breath. "I'm still here."

"Will we see you for dinner then, Granger?"

She sighed and nodded to herself again. "I'll be there."

She heard them both sigh as well and felt the tension alleviate a little from all of them, even though the phone. She wasn't sure what to say next and they remained silent, but she wasn't as ready to hang up the phone as she thought she might have been.

"Can I ask you both something now?"

"Anything," they replied in unison.

"Are you both aware of what happened yesterday? That I slept with Malfoy in the morning and Theo at night?" She paused and when neither of them said anything, she continued. "Will that have any effect on the outcome of whatever you already decided amongst yourselves? I thought it best you know if you didn't so you'd have tonight to-"

"We know, Granger." Malfoy interrupted, saving her from her ramble.

"And we're not upset. Not with each other and certainly not with you," Theo added softly, knowing that would be her next thought.

Ginny chose the moment a tear decided to escape down her cheek to find Hermione on the patio. Hermione moved to the side so that Ginny could sit next to her on the same lounger and handed her the bottle.

"Not once have we thought of you as whatever name you've decided to call yourself today, Granger."

She barked with laughter for a moment. The fact that they both seemed to know her like the back of their hands was as endearing as it was unnerving. She had indeed called herself quite a few derogatory names since leaving the house that morning.

"Just get some rest, Hermione. We'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Night, Granger," Malfoy said at the same time as Theo's, "Night, Hermione."

She didn't say anything else as she slid the phone from her ear and hit the end call button. She took the bottle Ginny offered her and maneuvered her phone into a pocket. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"I already made up the couch. Whether or not you make Harry sleep there is up to you."

Hermione smiled and then laughed. Real laughter that brought forth tears and made her stomach hurt at the end of it. When she was able to catch her breath, she launched into her story for Ginny, hoping for some much-needed advice.


	7. Option A or B

**SEVEN**

**Option A or B**

Hermione overslept. It was the first time in a long time that she had done that. It was definitely the first time she had ever not bothered to call herself into work followed up with no intentions of going in for the day either. Instead, she decided to take Ginny up on her offer from the note she left Hermione on her pillow and stayed there for most of the day to relax.

She started the day by waking in Ginny's bed and after some massive confusion of where the hell she was, she texted Harry and apologized for hogging his bed and making him sleep on the couch. He had replied instantly to tell her that as long as she was feeling better, he would do it again happily. But not all the time. She laughed when she read the second message and sent another reply that she would not make it a habit.

After forcing herself from the bed, she raided their medicine cabinet for something over the counter to kill her headache. She then took a shower and scrubbed her teeth with her finger and toothpaste before borrowing some of Ginny's clothes. Dressed for the day, she meandered down to the kitchen and made coffee.

She dug around in the study for a legal pad and a pen before taking her coffee to the living room and set about making her list of questions. She had consumed the entire pot of coffee by the time she had finished jotting down her ideas. For each question she wrote down, two more seemed to spring up. She cut herself off and decided she had taken up too much of Ginny's hospitality already.

She cleaned up after herself, stashed her list in her purse, and messaged Ginny telling her she'd borrowed clothes and would return them soon as well as a giant thank you for letting her dump her problems on her shoulder without warning. She used her key for Ginny's flat to lock it behind her and went to her car.

The first thing she did was email Kingsley letting him know that there was a family emergency and she hadn't had time to let him know beforehand. That she would be there bright and early tomorrow. He replied almost immediately telling her he hoped things were alright and if she ended up needing Wednesday as well, to let him know that night.

Next, she pulled up her group chat with Malfoy and Theo.

_Are either of you home now?_

Anxiety twisted knots in her stomach as she sat there, drumming her fingers on her steering wheel while she waited for a response.

_I can be there within the hour_ , was Malfoy's reply.

Theo's came a second later. _Just walked in._

_See you both in a bit._

She dropped her phone into the cupholder and began her drive home, not waiting to see if they responded after that. Even though she lived relatively close to Ginny, the drive felt a hundred times longer than normal. She even took the shortest route as she was ready to get some answers. It didn't help that there was construction traffic in the middle of the day. At the rate she was going, Malfoy was sure to be at the flat before her.

As luck would have it, she approached her parking spot at the same time Malfoy was stepping out of his cab. She slid out of her car and waited for him to cross the lot to her. He thrust a partially full bottle of water at her and smiled apologetically. She inclined her head and polished off the bottle.

He took it from her and tossed it into the bin when they passed it just outside the entry way. They were silent as they made their way down the hall to the lift. It opened and he stepped inside. He turned and gave her a double take at the sight of her still on the other side of the threshold. He kept one hand across the doors to keep them from closing and stepped out to her, his other hand outstretched.

"Please?"

She wasn't sure what did it; the sound of his voice or the lack of demand, but she raised her arm and slid her hand into his, allowing him to guide her into the lift. When she didn't pull her hand from his as the doors slid closed, he laced his fingers with hers, but made sure not to press his luck with anything else.

It was only when they got to the front door that she took her hand from his in order to dig through her purse for her keys. One day she would know to keep them in hand after getting out of the car, but she doubted it would be anytime soon. She unlocked the door and Malfoy opened it, gesturing for her to go in first. They both removed their shoes and she dropped her purse as Theo came out of his room to greet them.

"Wine?" he asked.

Malfoy nodded yes, but Hermione shook her head.

"I would like a clear head for this," she told them, moving to the kitchen for more water.

"I'm surprised you're here so early," Theo said carefully as they moved to the living room.

Hermione settled into the oversized chair that sat perpendicular to the couch facing their rooms as they took the couch. "I didn't go to work today. I didn't even call in until this afternoon. Told Kingsley it was a family emergency."

Malfoy's brow shot up before he and Theo exchanged a guilty look.

She waved at them dismissively and sipped at her glass of water. "So who would like to go first?" she asked them. "And don't sugarcoat anything."

"I'll start," Theo said, looking at Malfoy who nodded and sat back, his gaze locked on her.

She did her best to ignore the weight of his gaze and found the more she learned, she more she understood their stares. She was never good at hiding her reactions; always wore her heart on her sleeve. They didn't want to miss the way she reacted to them.

"Do you remember the first night I approached you?" Theo asked.

She smirked despite herself and flushed under Malfoy's gaze. "Of course."

"Do you remember what you said to me?"

"That that was how the plot of a rom-com always starts."

"Well, that was my shy way of seeing if you were into me as much as I was into you. I was mad at myself for a long time because you seemed to adjust back to friends and flat mates so easily that I thought I had missed my chance."

Hermione felt her lips part. She had no idea that he felt that way about her. She assumed the not wanting more was part of the arrangement and since he had initiated it, that he had been the one content with their remaining friends with occasional benefits.

He took a sip of wine and swirled his glass. "Not long after you started up with that McLaggen fellow-"

Her face twisted in disgust earning a smirk from Malfoy. She shuddered at the memory and had half a mind to wipe her tongue on the back of her hand. "I never knew kisses could be so sloppy," she whispered, shuddering again. "But you started dating first. Daphne, wasn't it?"

Theo nodded and smiled at her. "I was too chicken to ask you for more, so when Daph asked me out, I told her yes. Then you started seeing _him_ and I thought that was it for us," he said, taking another sip of wine. "But then we found ourselves between partners again a few months later and you asked me if we could extend our arrangement."

Heat crept up her cheeks as she recalled their second night together vividly. She hadn't asked so much as jumped him on the couch one night and kept him buried inside her until it was time to leave for work the next morning.

She cleared her throat again.

"And still you didn't say anything after. By then, I had gotten to know you pretty well and I figured if you didn't want me in a real romantic way, then I would be absolutely content just being your flat mate and your friend. My feelings were still there, but they definitely got buried deep."

Her eyes flickered over to Malfoy and then back to Theo. "It seems we were both too chicken to speak up," she said. "I said the same thing to myself. I did like you, Theo; I still do. And I almost did come to you, but by the time I realized what it was I felt, Malfoy here started coming around and well… I thought…" She stopped to glare at Malfoy as he snickered. "Don't you dare start laughing at me again!"

It was too late. Malfoy had a very good laugh at the memory of her thinking the two of them were a couple. Even Theo joined in on the chuckle. Hermione found herself smiling and felt the tension in the room ease just enough to help her relax.

"That will never get old, Granger."

She lifted her chin in the air and huffed. "Despite all of _that_ , how does that all tie into the fights the two of you have been having? They have been about me, haven't they?"

"Yes and no," Theo answered. "When Draco first started coming around, he asked about you. What your situation was."

"By then you had already told him we'd fucked, yeah?"

The apple of Theo's throat bobbed at her words and he gave her a weary smile, his cheeks turning pink. "More or less. He knew of our arrangement and he asked if there was more to it from either of us. I told him no. He asked if he could ask you out and I told him good luck. At the time, you did not like him very much."

Hermione smiled at Malfoy and shook her head. "You were quite the asshole back then."

"Because I liked you."

She rolled her eyes. "How very preschool of you."

"Shortly after he asked me, I started wishing I had answered him differently. I kept waiting for him to make a move. To come home one day and have one of you tell me that it had happened. I told myself if it did happen and it worked out, I would be happy with it, but then I came home that one day to find you home early from work."

Hermione shuddered with embarrassment as she placed a hand over her face. She knew exactly which day he spoke of. Her body remembered it too as her thighs clamped together, her core throbbing with need.

"It was clear to me that Theo was more interested in you than he told me so when the opportunity to extend my work trip came up, I took it," Malfoy explained.

"Did you know he saw us?" she asked Theo.

"Not until after," he confessed. "I knew there was a chance he might have been there still, but I had more pressing matters to tend to. You did ask for my help."

His smirk made her bite her lip to stifle a moan. She redirected the conversation once she was sure she could safely open her mouth. "So when you came back, had you discussed…me?"

"When we met to exchange the key, I asked him again if he had any feelings for you and that I was planning on pursuing you with his blessing. That I had seen the two of you together, but I had already known of your arrangement before I came into the picture. His answer was the same as before," Malfoy explained.

"I was still under the impression he wouldn't stand a chance. I knew you rarely change your mind about people, but the two of you went and proved me wrong. I saw the way you were once you broke the ice; the way you had grown closer. The more I saw the two of you flirt, the more I realized I was not okay with it, but was still too chicken to man up and do anything about it. Then you started to flirt with me too and even slept with me again and I wasn't sure what to think anymore."

She nodded. "I noticed it was creating a bit of tension between the two of you so I backed off." She looked at the two of them. "But you kept fighting."

"Yes," Theo replied, his voice tentative.

"But not in the way that you think, Granger," Malfoy added.

At the risk of sounding conceited, she said, "I was thinking you were fighting over me. Like which one of you would ultimately 'get to have me' which you both knew I would not go for, I'm sure. Not that?"

"Not exactly," Theo replied.

She sighed. "Spit it out then."

"Up until that rather large fight you had the misfortune of walking in on on Saturday night, we had been fighting about the best way to approach you about what we now call 'Option A.' That we wanted to date you and it wouldn't be fair to ask you without ever really dating us. We wanted to see if you would be willing to date us both and make your decision when you were ready."

Hermione straightened in her seat. She wasn't sure if that was better or worse than what she had originally thought. "That implies there's more than one option," she stated. "So 'Option B…'" she questioned, staring between the two of them.

Theo turned his gaze to Malfoy expectantly; as if he had drawn the short straw and Hermione braced herself. "After we calmed down, Theo said since he had an unfair advantage in the situation. We-"

Hermione recoiled in her seat and saw both of them wince. "So _that's_ what Sunday morning was all about?" she asked him, her eyes misting over before she turned to Theo. "And you put him up to it?"

"Shit. Granger, no. That is most definitely not was Sunday morning was all about." He leaned forward, setting his glass on the table. She saw the hesitation in him as he considered wanting to reach out to her. "I wasn't going to. I was going to wait until we got over ourselves and talked to you, but you were sending me all sorts of signals; none of which I could resist."

She blinked against tears she refused to shed and took another sip of her water. She looked at Theo whose hazel eyes were begging for forgiveness from her. "And you? Were you trying to remind me of us? Prove that you were the better choice?"

"No," he said, shaking his head rapidly.

"So you thought, what, exactly? That you gave permission for your friend to fuck your flat mate so now it was your turn? You _knew_ that I had slept with Malfoy and he knew I was sleeping with you. Meanwhile I had no fucking idea the two of you were so goddamn chatty!" She got to her feet and balled her hands into fists at her side. "I spent most of Sunday agonizing over what the hell to do after sleeping with Malfoy. Should I even tell Theo? If I did, would it because they were friends or was it because we had something? Should I wait to talk to Malfoy again and see what he wants? What if he only wanted to sleep with me because Theo tells him stuff? What if they're playing some sick fucking game and they'll just compare notes about me later?"

She paused to take a deep breath, furiously wiping at the tears that were now flowing freely down her cheeks.

"I was beside myself, drowning in the what-ifs and then you didn't even come home," she said, glaring at Malfoy. "Was it really that something came up or did the two of you discuss that it was Theo's turn?" She held up her hand and shook her head as they started to answer. "You both made me feel like such a slag. Not all your fault; I sure as fuck acted like one. And then Monday morning you both kiss me in front of one another… As if that wouldn't scare the piss out of me!?"

She laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. Laughed until she didn't know whether the tears were hysteria or misery. When she was able to get a semblance of her composure back, she crossed her arms and stared at the both of them. "The most fucked up part of all of this is that I still want you both."

They slowly turned their gaze towards one another and then back at her. Theo cleared his throat and spoke carefully. "Would you like to hear 'Option B?'"

Her snort was the most undignified noise she had ever made in her life. She shrugged her shoulders and raised her hand. "Sure."

Malfoy brushed his palms over his trousers and took a deep breath before saying, "That the three of us date." He stared at her as if waiting for her to see the difference in the plans, but she couldn't. "That instead of us each dating you and having you eventually pick, we date together. The three of us. A triad if you will."

"Triad means we all shag; even you two," she informed him despite her best efforts to keep from spouting knowledge; a nervous tick.

Theo chuckled and Malfoy shook his head. "Okay, not a triad. A Throuple?"

"What?"

He shook his head. "Fuck, I don't know, call it whatever you want. We wanted to ask you if you'd like to date both of us. There wouldn't be a need to pick one or the other; you'd have us both. In every sense of a romantic relationship, but it would-"

"I get it," she interrupted, saving him from sounding like a broken record.

"But we understand if we fucked up that chance and if you tell us to piss off right now, we will," Theo told her.

She stared at both of them in shock and disbelief. "So you two would, what, _share_ me? Dates, sex; everything?"

"All of it," Malfoy replied.

Her brain started coming up with questions on logistics of how that would even work. Surely one of them was bound to get jealous of the other. She had to admit; she was definitely curious as to how the sex _together_ would work, but she quickly pushed that thought to the side.

"I don't know if I could do that," she said, her voice quiet. "What if one of you decides that you want more? That you don't want to share anymore? If you were to stop being friends, it would be my fault. I wouldn't want that." She shook her head and took a step towards her room. "I can't, I'm sorry," she said and took off before either of them could stop her.


	8. You Only Live Once

**EIGHT**

**You Only Live Once**

Hermione had cried herself to sleep that night. Most of it was out of sheer frustration. The worst part was she couldn't even tell how she felt about it. She was sad, hurt, betrayed, intrigued. All she knew for sure when she woke the next morning was that she wanted to get to work as quickly as possible. She threw on whatever she grabbed first from the closet, pulled her hair into a pony, brushed her teeth, and hurried out the door.

If Theo or Malfoy were there, she never saw them.

She was more than ready to throw herself into work. So much so, that she arrived before the main lights even turned on for the day. She spent nearly an hour in her office with only the emergency lights. As her coworkers started to arrive, she was finally starting to get a grip on her thoughts and numb them; determined to have a good day.

So of course Kingsley had to go and ruin it.

Her boss had taken one look at her upon his arrival and asked her to come into his office just before lunch. He asked her how her emergency had been the day before to which she shrugged and said everything was fine and it was all under control now. He, however, made her decidedly not fine by telling her that her client had asked to be reassigned to a new agent. It was as if the universe was trying to drown her in sorrow.

But of all the shitty things that had transpired over the weekend, he also decided, that given her current state and yesterday's issue, that he was sending her home today and making her take Thursday and Friday off as well.

So now, not only did she _finally_ have a break from work, she had nowhere to spend it. The first time she would rather be at work instead of at home and it was being ripped away from her.

Someone out there was laughing big time at her shitty luck.

Instead of going to the employee parking lot, she walked out the front door. She wasn't ready to go home yet. Both Theo and Malfoy should have been long gone at work by now, but she still wasn't ready to go back there. Not yet. As long as she made sure she was on the road before the rush hour traffic hit, she could avoid them.

She would take each of her five days one at a time. At least one of them was already half over.

Across the street was one of the new, swanky hotels that, had she been born to the same social class as Theo and Malfoy, she would never leave. Having always wanted to see if the interior was as gorgeous as the exterior, she wandered over and went inside.

The moment she stepped inside the rotating doors and onto the marble floor, she considered dropping what she was sure to be a week's worth of pay for a night in the cheapest room. She looked around in awe of the décor and after decided she didn't want to get kicked out for being a lurker, she headed into the lounge for lunch. And a much-needed glass of wine.

"Holy shit, Hermione?"

She stilled at a familiar voice and scrunched her face, trying to place it. As she turned to the man that had taken the barstool next to her, she snorted at the universe's fucked up sense of humor. "Hey Cormac."

He threw a dazzling smile that wouldn't have worked if she hadn't been on her third glass already. Which summed up how she had started her brief stint with the man. "What brings you here?" he asked her, ordering a drink.

She tilted her glass towards him and took a sip. "Boss is forcing me to take some time off."

"No shit," he said, stealing a fry from her plate.

"What about you?"

"Business. Was supposed to meet a client here for lunch, but they got their days mixed up." She tried her best to ignore the way his gaze raked over her. "Are you free this afternoon?"

She stilled for a moment and then turned to look at him. "Ask me again after you buy the next two rounds."

"Deal."

She knew what he was hinting at and her mind scoffed at her. _Yes, more sex is_ exactly _what you need right now. That will uncomplicate everything. Bint._ She took another drink to quiet the voices and launched herself into a pleasant conversation.

Before she knew it, she had finished her glass and then another. She found herself laughing at nearly everything he said and at some point, his hand had dropped to her thigh and was working its way up ever so slowly. When it hit her what she was doing, she felt hot and needed air. Needed this to stop.

"Cormac, I can't-"

"I know, you said one more," he replied with a grin.

She shook her head, instantly regretting the action, and tried to pull his hand from his lap. "I know what I said, but…" She swallowed, her throat dry.

"Well that's not-"

"I believe the lady said no."

Hermione went completely still at the chill in Malfoy's voice from behind her.

"Piss off, pal."

"I will if she tells me to."

Hermione slowly turned her head, meeting Malfoy's gaze. He searched her from head to toe, grey eyes filled to the brim with concern for her. "Go," she whispered.

His eyes darkened and Cormac smirked. "You heard the-"

"You, Cormac," she said, turning back to him. "You go."

The triumph on his face drained as he realized what she had said and he withdrew his hand from her. "What, is this your boyfriend?"

She snorted; as if she had any idea how to answer that question sober, let alone more than a bottle of wine deep. She slid off the barstool, grateful for Malfoy's help when she stumbled. "Bye, Cormac."

"Hang on, you can't leave me to pay your tab."

Malfoy signaled the bartender. "Vincent, bill me for what they've ordered so far," he demanded.

"Of course, Mister Malfoy," he said before clearing empty glassware.

Malfoy turned a dark look at Cormac. "Next time a lady tells you no, I suggest you take your hands off of her immediately," he said, voice cold as ice. "And if I _ever_ see you touch her again, I will make sure it's the last thing you ever feel."

With that, he laced his fingers with hers, and tugged her out of the lounge. Once they were in the lobby and out of sight from the lounge, Hermione yanked her hand away from his and took a step back from him, coming to a halt in the middle of the lobby.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue, but-"

"But nothing," he growled. "He wouldn't have stopped, Granger."

"You don't know that."

His eyes flashed at her and he took a half step closer. She could see the anger coursing through him and realized he was doing an impeccable job of keeping it under wraps. "You and I both know better."

She huffed in annoyance. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"My job. What's your excuse?"

She tilted her chin up a little at his tone. "Your job leads you to a bar in the middle of the day?"

His lips quirked into a smirk, but it only lasted a moment. "I own vineyards, remember? I have wineries and sometimes I meet my clients at their businesses to make sure our distribution arrangements are still running smoothly."

She shifted her head feet and nodded. She had known that; he'd told her plenty of times before. "Right."

"Your turn," he said, tilting his head a little. "Why aren't you at work? Even if it was lunch, you'd be late going back by now and you sure as hell wouldn't be drinking."

"Kingsley gave me the rest of the week off. _After_ telling me I lost my client to another agent," she said, her voice quiet and bitter.

"So you came to a bar to get pissed in the middle of the day and let some sleezy bloke feel you up?"

Anger flamed through her and she dropped her arms to her side, fists balled up at her side. "For starters, I'm not yours to save, Malfoy!" she hissed. "Or Theo's. Or anyone's for that matter. And you don't get to yell at me for my poor choices!" Her voice broke and she tried her best to get ahold of her emotions. "I didn't know where else to go," she whispered.

His arms were around her before she had even finished her sentence. She sagged against his chest and buried her face against his suit jacket. He held her tight and rested his chin on the top of her head. "Come home," he pleaded into her hair.

Wanting to get away from the people in the lobby that were staring at them, she nodded against him and he led her outside. When he pulled out his phone to call a cab, she spoke up. "What about my car?" she asked.

"I can drive us."

"Can you?" she questioned. Not once had she ever seen him with a vehicle that wasn't a cab or the occasional limo.

"I have my license."

"That does not mean you can drive," she countered.

He smirked at her and held out his hand for the keys. "Guess you'll just have to trust me," he said.

She hesitated before slowly reaching into her purse and fishing out her keys. "If you can get me home without crashing or making me vomit, I'll consider it."

"Deal," he said, pocketing her keys and then lacing his fingers with hers again.

They walked across the street and she led him through her building to the door that led to the employee lot in the back. Once he helped her into the passenger seat, she heard him on the phone with someone while he took his time at the back of the car. She presumed it was Theo, but she was too drunk to strain her ears and hear anything.

The drive back to her flat was spent in silence. Most of it was that she didn't know what to say to him or if she even wanted to say anything. The rest of it was that he was a terrible driver; all about speed with no regard for traffic laws of any kind. Terror kept her mouth shut.

And when he parked, he laughed at her as she yanked the door open and shot out of her seat. "Never again!"

"Hey, I didn't get into any accidents nor did I make you vomit," he reminded her. "Just like you asked."

"Barely!" she yelled, but smiled anyway. After a moment she cleared her throat and looked away from him. "I need water."

Once they were inside, she got herself a glass of water and drank half of it right away. After, she leaned on the counter, staring off into space with the glass pressed to her lips. Malfoy stepped in front of her and slowly, she let her eyes travel upwards until they locked with his.

"I know you called Theo and that you're both worried about me," she said, lowering the glass. "But I was hoping to get some time to myself at work to clear my head. I got blind sighted when Kingsley gave me some time off. I panicked." She smiled at him and tapped her fingers on the glass as she held it between them, keeping him from coming any closer. "I just need some time to myself."

He smiled and watched her as she took another sip of water. "Granger-"

"Not now, Malfoy. Please?"

He stared at her for a moment, lips pressed into a thin line, and then inclined his head. When she turned to top off her glass, he left the kitchen. As she made her way to her room, Malfoy emerged from the bathroom with some Advil. "Take these. That's going to be one hell of a headache."

She nodded in agreement and took the pills, washing them down with a large gulp of water. After a moment, she stepped closer to him and stretched up on her toes to kiss his cheek softly. "Thank you."

When she stepped back, his brow was raised in question at her. "You're welcome."

"When I get up, we'll talk, okay? Just let Theo know that I need some space, but…" She swallowed hard and canted her head to the side. "But I'm thinking about it."

His lips parted to ask for clarification, but he quickly reconsidered and inclined his head, taking what he could for now. She gave him another nod and then slipped into her room and gently closed the door. Her heart raced in her chest as she laid down, not bothering to get out of her work clothes. She closed her eyes and let the options and emotions rage their war, wondering what would win when she woke up.

* * *

It was well after midnight when Hermione woke next. She was glad that Malfoy had made her take the Advil before lying down or pounding in her head would have been ten times worse. She drank the glass of water she had left on her nightstand, only setting it back down when it was empty. And before her bladder demanded she empty that as well, she took off her clothes in favor of finding a clean shirt T-shirt and a pair of lounging pants.

She saw Theo and Malfoy in the living room when she came out of the bathroom. Malfoy was passed out in the chair while Theo was stretched out on the couch, but he was awake. He smiled when he saw her and she returned it. She reached for the blanket on the back of the couch and draped it over Malfoy before sinking down onto the couch next to Theo.

"Draco told me about this afternoon," he said.

"I figured he would," she returned.

"I'm glad he was there. It didn't sound like-"

She reached for his hand and laced their fingers together, stunning him into silence. "I don't want to talk about Cormac. Ever. Apparently just saying his name makes the universe think it's good timing for him to reappear."

Theo chuckled and nodded. "Done. I'll never say the git's name again."

She looked down at their joined hands and then over to Malfoy still snoozing in the chair. He didn't look comfortable and she knew he would wake with a stiff neck if he remained there for the rest of the night.

"What are you thinking, Hermione?" Theo asked softly.

Her gaze slowly traveled back to him and she smiled, squeezing his hand just a bit. "I'm just going to assume that he shared everything I said with you," she said to which he nodded hesitantly. "Well, I did give it some thought. To 'Option B'."

"And?"

"I'm still skeptical on the logistics and I really don't want to be the reason you two ever dissolve your friendship if something goes wrong, but…" She took a deep breath and smiled. "I want to give it a shot."

He grinned from ear-to-ear and it tugged at her heart.

"We're gonna have to start slow," she informed him. "And since neither of you have taken me on a real date yet, I think the first one we go on should be the three of us."

"Would you be opposed to being our date to Blaise's cousin's wedding Friday night?" he asked, his voice full of hope with a dash of anxiety. "Or would that be too much?"

She thought about it and then shook her head. "Sounds perfect."

He let go of her hand in favor of leaning forward to lay his lips on hers. He didn't deepen the kiss, content with just the feel of his mouth pressed to hers. "You should get some more rest while you can," he said as he pulled away.

"You should as well. Were you both waiting up for me?"

"Of course," he said and then stifled a yawn.

She shook her head. "Well get to bed," she demanded before getting to her feet. She moved to stand beside Malfoy and before she could lose her nerves, she bent down and pressed her lips over his. He stirred from the action and when she pulled away, he was blinking rapidly in confusion.

"Granger?" he asked, sitting up straight and rubbing at his eyes.

"I should hope so," she said. "If there's another girl in here, you're both dead."

His brow raised at her and then looked to Theo for confirmation. "That's very possessive of you," he teased, scrubbing his chin.

"Well, seeing as how it's my flat and everything in it is _mine_ , I'd say I'm entitled to that trait, no?"

Laughter bubbled up from the three of them as he reached for one of her hands. As their fingers laced together, she felt Theo grab her other hand and do the same. "She agreed to be our date for the wedding."

"She'll need something to wear."

She pulled her hands from both of them and placed them on her hips. " _She_ is standing right here and has a closet full of clothes."

Malfoy's lip curled at the thought. "Yes, I've seen your attire, Granger," he drawled. "Will you just let me put you in something that didn't come from a department store?"

She smirked as she stared at him, eyes alight with mischief. "Fine," she said. "But it stays on all night."

Theo laughed at the two of them as Malfoy smirked. "Cheeky."

"Both of you, off to bed. I'll see you in the morning," she said, turning away from them before she gave into the heat pooling in her knickers already.

"Night," they called after her.

She fell asleep with a smile on her face, finally getting a good night's rest.


	9. Just Say the Word

**NINE**

**Just Say The Word**

Upon waking up to the smell of breakfast, Hermione was glad that she wasn't angry with them anymore. As she conversed with them at the kitchen table, it seemed as though they both had a four-day weekend because of the wedding. Had she still been mad at them, she would have gone insane.

As it was, Draco- if she was going to date him, she might as well use his given name- left shortly after breakfast to take care of some errands. Before he departed, he wrote something down for Theo and dropped a hastened kiss to her cheek. Whether he just wasn't sure if she would approve or if he was really short for time, she didn't know.

After breakfast, she took a shower and put on a pair of jeans and a shirt before walking with Theo down to his car. They talked as if they always had and not about whatever strange relationship she had agreed upon in the wee hours of the morning.

"Just who exactly are we meeting?" she asked as she eyed the tall modern building they were fast approaching. They were in the posh part of town; the part that had been newly constructed in the last five years and in some places, was still being erected.

"Her name is Pansy."

Hermione stopped short as Theo opened the door to the lobby. "As in Pansy Parkinson? Stylist to the stars?"

"Yes."

She stepped back from the open door and shook her head rapidly. "How the hell did Mal- Draco pull that one off?"

"He didn't pull anything," he assured her with a warm smile. "Pansy's a friend of ours."

"Is there anyone the two of you _don't_ know?" she asked.

"Plenty of people," he said. "We just know a lot of the influential people. Come on, she will actually kill me if we're late."

Hermione sighed and entered the building. "She sounds nice."

He chuckled and pressed the button to call for the lift. "She is. You'll like her. She's just…well, you'll see."

"Don't antagonize," she said, crossing her arms. "I'm already on edge about doing this anyway."

"It's just a dress, Hermione."

"To you, but it's... I _just_ agreed to this and the first thing we decide to do, Malfoy tells me my clothes aren't good enough. I already feel self-conscious about the fact that the two of you are oozing money at the seems. This just feels…"

"He likes to spend money on the people he cares for. He might seem like a selfish prat, but when he lets you in, he does everything he can to ease your worries. He will lavish you with expensive things until you dump him, so you might as well get used to it," he said with a nudge to the shoulder. "But you should tell him that he's overstepping. Set boundaries with us, Hermione. That's the only way this will work."

She laughed as they stepped into the lift. "I do love to put him in his place," she said, smiling at Theo.

"And in his defense, the wedding is black tie and he was right, nothing in your closet would have been right. You would have felt more self-conscious wearing something other than what you pick today if he didn't arrange this for you."

Hermione couldn't argue that logic. She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "Alright, fine."

"I do have a question though."

"Of course." She could feel his laughter vibrating his chest.

"That little deal you made with Draco… Does that apply to me as well?"

Hermione pulled herself away from Theo and gave him a playful shove. "It does now," she teased and shook her head at him as he groaned.

The lift opened up into a very large lobby with a straight shot to the floor to ceiling windows. The view of the entire city was impeccable and Hermione wished it was night time so she could see the city all lit up. "Mister Nott," came a friendly voice from the desk to the right.

"Milly," he said as he placed a hand in the small of Hermione's back to direct her towards the desk. "This is Miss Granger. Pans should be expecting us."

She gave Hermione a small smile and an incline of her head as a greeting. "I'm sure Astoria would love an interruption right now."

Theo chuckled at the private joke between them. "Thanks, Mill," he said and beckoned for Hermione to follow him to one of the doors near the desk.

When he opened it, there were racks upon racks of garments so expensive she could probably buy the city. In the middle of the room was a woman in a very polished blouse and pencil skirt with perfectly curled raven locks down her back yelling at a younger woman with chestnut hair. The younger girl looked as though she were about to cry and when Theo cleared his throat to signal that they had arrived, she thought the girl would faint with relief.

"Pansy, this is Hermione."

Pansy turned a keen eye on her, one that Hermione decided she did not like. As she approached, she was looking her up and down as if memorizing every inch of her. But instead of doing so maliciously or sensually, it was business-like. Her dark red lips curled into a smile as she reached a hand out for Hermione to grasp.

"So you're the one who's managed to catch Drake's attention." The way she said it posed no question. She looked at Theo and nodded approval. "She's pretty."

"Thanks," Hermione said meekly. She was still waiting for Theo to say something about it not just being Draco's attention, but he didn't. So she would make sure that she didn't either.

"Who do you have doing her make-up?" Pansy asked, looking at Theo again.

"I can do my own."

Pansy turned her gaze on her again and gave her a smile that told her she had zero faith. And Hermione sighed knowing she was right. She rarely wore it and she was sure whatever outfit she ended up picking, she didn't possess enough skills with make-up to compliment it well.

"Drake said you were coming together, right? I'll have your suits delivered to my hotel room. The three of you will come over early and I'll help her dress along with her make-up. Astoria, please set that up and send an email to Drake about the changes."

"On it," Astoria said, typing furiously on her phone.

Satisfied, Pansy pointed to the pedestal in the center of the room. "Are you comfortable going braless or is the garment a must for you?" she asked, pulling out her phone, presumably to make notes.

"Comfortable," she answered as she stepped towards the pedestal.

She nodded, following her. "How are you in heels?"

"The lower the better."

Another nod and then a double take at the sight of Hermione standing on the pedestal awkwardly. "Strip down to your knickers," she demanded as if it were obvious she should have done that already.

Hermione looked at Theo and he smirked. "I would do it before she does it for you," he chuckled.

"You can leave now," Pansy told him, as Astoria came to stand beside her with measuring tape.

Hermione's eyes widened as she silently begged him not to go.

Pansy looked between the two of them and smirked. "I was under the impression I was to keep it a surprise from both Theo and Draco. I won't bite, Hermione," she said with a smile. "Not unless you ask me nicely."

"I'll be back in a bit. I'll bring lunch," he told Pansy and she nodded at him before he took his departure.

Hermione, still clothed, slid her gaze to Pansy and her cheeks flushed. Pansy's smiled and her demeanor softened. "I know I can be intimidating. Let's just get this part out of the way now, yes? I've known Theo and Draco since primary school and I dated Draco when we were teenagers. They both are very good friends of mine and I'm fully aware that you're not going with them as just friends to this wedding. If it makes you feel better, my husband buys season passes to the soccer matches every year and brings my lover to every game."

Hermione's lips parted in awe at her confessions. The information fogged her brain and kept her immobile for a moment as she tried to process. "H-have they dated the same girl before?"

"No," she said with absolute conviction. "Which is interesting considering how close those two always were. You're very lucky indeed, Hermione. Let's make them drool at your feet like puppies when they see you," she said with a smile and pointed at her. "Now strip."

* * *

Pansy was not type to keep anything to herself. She spoke whatever was on her mind and held nothing back. Hermione learned quite a bit about both Theo and Draco. Some of her newfound knowledge boarded on TMI, but she was glad to know it regardless. However, by the time Theo had returned, her thoughts had run rampant and she could tell Theo had picked up on it.

They had left Pansy after eating lunch in the office and Hermione spent the drive home staring out the window, lost in thought. When they got home, Theo leaned against the edge of counter near the table and swept his hand at the air between them.

"Will you please tell me whatever it is that's got you so wrapped up in there?" he asked.

Her eyes focused on Theo, pulling her from her daze, and her gaze softened. She could tell by his tone that he thought he must have done something wrong. "I'm not upset," she assured him. "I think."

"Did Pansy say something to you?"

"Pansy told me a lot of things," she said, plopping down in one of the chairs at the table. "Things about you and things about her and Draco as well."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She did, but she wasn't sure what she wanted to say; where she wanted to start. "Pansy said she knew that I was going as a date to the both of you. Did Draco tell her? If he did, who else did he tell? Tomorrow when we arrive, are people going to be watching us? Are they-"

He shot forward to drop into the chair next to her, reaching for her hands in her lap. He held them tight, cutting her off from that sentence. "This is our personal business, Hermione. No one knows anything. Draco didn't have to tell Pansy anything outright. She's perceptive. She probably figured it out right away when he requested neither of us get to see the dress. As for tomorrow, if you don't want any attention, that's alright. Neither of us is expecting anything from you. We won't do anything that will make you uncomfortable. If that means we put off a first date and go just as friends tomorrow, perfect."

Hermione nodded, but it wasn't her only thought. Most of it was that she didn't want to be rude at a wedding. Especially since she didn't know the person. The last thing she wanted was for people to discuss her sex life and have that be the memory from someone's special day. Which brought her to another thought. "Is this a norm in the elite circles? Having more than one partner at a time and have it not be a secret?"

Theo shook his head and smiled at her. "No. Pansy is definitely in a league of her own there," he assured her. "It's her personality. She's always known what she wants."

Hermione clamped down on more questions that came to mind. What if one of them wanted to get married? Would they both want to be the groom? Was that even an option? How would she choose if she couldn't wed them both? And what if they wanted kids?

His fingers squeezed at hers and she sighed. "Holy fuck, there's a lot to this I never considered."

"And we'll get through this together," he promised, bringing one of her hands up to brush his lips over her knuckles. "We do not have to figure this out overnight."

She sighed and smiled at him. "You're right. I'm getting _way_ ahead of myself."

He smiled back at her and then dropped her hands to get to his feet. "Want to watch a movie?"

"Sure," she said. "When did Draco say he'd be back?"

"He didn't, but I'm sure he'll be back either before dinner or with it. What do you want to watch?" he asked, settling down on the couch with the remotes.

"Don't care, just find something," she said and then ducked into the bathroom first.

She felt her phone go off in her back pocket and removed it as she lowered herself onto the toilet. She opened a message from Ginny.

_I'm going crazy over here wondering what the hell happened. Drinks tonight?_

She grinned at her phone and nodded to herself.

_I'll be over after dinner. Tell Harry not to worry, I'm not going to steal his bed again._

She received the response as she was washing her hands, but picked her phone off the counter after drying them.

_Be home after six. See you!_

Hermione smiled to herself and joined Theo in the living room. Normally, they would take up their favorite spots on the sofa. Theo's was the arm on the right while hers was the arm on the left. She wondered if he would want her to sit next to him, but she was also afraid if she did, she would jump him. She had said she wanted it slow, but knowing that he was hers now and she could have him anytime already sent a flood to her knickers.

So she opted for her favorite spot and tucked her legs underneath her as she leaned against the left arm of the couch. It only felt awkward for a moment and mostly came from her at the thought that he might expect her to sit next to him. But soon it felt like normal. Sitting on the couch together to watch a movie was something they had done a thousand times before.

As the movie progressed, she had unfurled her legs and stretched out. Her feet had found their way into his lap and he had started to rub them right away. It wasn't long before she quit watching the movie and just watched his fingers instead. Each press of his skin against hers made her desire flare. If he kept this up, she wouldn't be able to stop herself.

And she wasn't sure if she wanted to.

With a sigh, she pulled her feet from him and smiled as she stood up. "Water," she explained. "Want some?" she asked, patting his shoulder in thanks as she walked in front of him.

"Later," he said, reaching up to grab her arm.

She yelped as he tugged her down on top of him. Her legs stuck out over the arm of the couch as her ass slid over his lap. His arousal poked at her through the seat of his trousers. She sighed heavily as she wrapped her arms around his neck and angled her chest towards him so he could capture her lips. His left arm supported her back as his right arm snaked around her front to grip her hip and hold her in place.

Her head tilted back as she moaned when his lips moved from hers to kiss her jaw and then work their way down the column of her neck. She shivered and let her hands flex in his hair when it slithered up the base of his neck. His breath tickled her skin as he withdrew his lips and pulled his head back to look at her. A smile graced his lips and his hazel eyes were darker than she had ever seen him before. Beneath her, his cock twitched against her rear.

"Sorry," he said, his smile turning into a smirk. "I just couldn't help myself. I know you want to take it slow."

She smiled and reached up to kiss him briefly. "It's hard to remember why I say such things when you kiss me like that."

"Is that so?" he asked, eyes flashing at her before he brought his mouth down on hers again.

"Mmhmm," she hummed against his lips, parting hers when his tongue swiped gently against her bottom lip. Her tongue greeted his eagerly as they danced between their lips.

She felt his arms tighten around her and a moment later, she gasped into the kiss as he lifted her enough to push her from his lap. She found herself sitting next to him with one leg draped over his thigh. He turned towards her and continued kissing her while his hand slid down the front of her body. His fingers began to undo the fly to her jeans and she whimpered when she heard the teeth of the zipper give way. He wasted no time in slipping his hand beneath the fabric of her knickers and she arched into his touch.

"You're already soaked, Hermione," he whispered, breaking the kiss. He pulled back enough to grin at her while his knuckle drew lazy circles around her clit. After a moment, he pulled his hand away from her and she groaned in frustration. He raised his knuckle to her lips and she held his gaze as her tongue darted out to taste herself on his skin.

"Theo…"

"Tell me what you want," he demanded, bringing his hand to his own lips to sample the remnants.

"I want to come."

He nodded and slid his hand back into her knickers. His fingers ran the length of her slit as he watched her bite her lip and sigh. "How do you want to come?"

She shivered as his index fingers flicked at her clit, sending her hips off the couch for a moment. "I…" She gulped for air as his middle finger sank into her core.

"I believe Theo asked you a question, Granger."

She went still and waited for Theo to move away, but he didn't. Instead, he added his index finger next to his middle and crooked them. A moan tore from her throat and she felt her face flush. She hadn't even heard Draco come in. All she could hear was the wooshing of her own blood as her heart pounded in her chest.

"She's soaking, Draco."

"I can hear that," he said, his voice gruffer than usual. She tipped her head back as much as she could and sought his gaze. His head tilted to the side. "Do you trust us?"

"Yes."

It equally scared and thrilled her how deeply she trusted them.

He gave a sharp nod and turned his grey gaze on Theo. "Stop what you're doing," he commanded and Theo obeyed instantly.

Hermione whined from the loss of Theo's fingers inside her body and her hips rose to try and chase him. He smirked at her and raised his fingers to his mouth, groaning as he licked them clean. "She really does taste divine. You should see for yourself."

Hermione flushed at his words and then again at Draco's response. "I intend to. Take her bottoms off."

She lifted her hips when Theo's hands rested at her waist. He eased her layers down her legs and gently set them down on the floor. As he undressed her, Hermione's eyes tracked Draco who stalked around the couch. He took the long way around to get to her, going around the coffee table. His eyes never left hers as he sank to his knees between her legs.

"I have wanted nothing more than to repay the favor of watching her come for you this way," he said, gaze shifting slightly to Theo.

Theo gave a nod as he smirked, his eyes dilating with lust ever so slightly. He looked at her with a quirked brow. "I've wondered what it would be like had the situation been reversed."

She wet her lips and looked down her body as Draco placed a trail of kisses up and down her thighs, working on one and then moving to the other. "I think that settles it then. Granger, you're going to come on my tongue while Theo watches."

It was more of a statement than a question, but she could tell from his eyes that he was asking consent either way. She gave a meek nod. One hand reached for Theo's shirt and clutched at it while the other sought for Draco. He nuzzled her palm before turning into it to give a quick kiss. Eyes sparkling with lust, he leaned in and ran his tongue through her slit.

Her entire body bowed outward as her moans echoed off the walls. Both Theo and Draco chuckled sending vibrations up and down her body. As Draco's tongue danced along her folds to taste her before flicking at her clit, Theo's hand stole up her shirt and cupped her breast over her bra. He lowered his head and captured her lips at the same time he pinched her nipple between his index finger and thumb.

She continued to moan into Theo's mouth as they both worked in unison to bring her to the brink of release. Draco had slipped his fingers inside her body, moving them in tandem with his tongue. At one point, Theo had pulled back, his eyes dropping to Draco between her thighs. Her head had lulled to the side and through slanted eyes, she watched Theo rub at his arousal over his trousers.

When he looked back at her, he smirked and reached up to undo his fly and pull himself up from his boxers. Hermione reached over eagerly and wrapped her hand around him. He groaned at her touch and she coated her palm in the precum he had already leaked out before beginning to stroke him.

A cry escaped her throat and she stopped her hand mid-pump, squeezing Theo's throbbing member instead. She looked down to see Draco staring up at her from where he had bitten the inside of her thigh. His fingers hadn't stopped plunging in and out of her body, but without attention to her clit, she felt the edge of release drift. His eyes flickered down to where her hand resumed stroking Theo. He wet his lips, looked back up at her, and then lowered himself again to suck hard at her clit.

Her inner walls fluttered and she clenched at his fingers, trying desperately to draw him in farther. Her movements on Theo became erratic and her other hand raised to her breast. It wouldn't be long before she came and they both knew it. Her breath hitched and she closed her eyes as the sensations increased.

"Look at me," Theo pleaded. "Let me see you come for us."

Her body shivered and she moaned again before forcing her eyes open. She locked gazes with him, continuing to stroke his cock. Hermione's eyes went wide and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. "I'm coming. Oh fuck, I'm coming," she chanted, the mantra bringing forth a fresh spurt of slick from Theo's cock. "Draco, I'm- _Fuck_!"

She kept her eyes open and trained on Theo as her world fell apart. Stars exploded in the back of her mind as pleasure radiated through her body from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Draco continued to please her until she had come down from her high. When her body sagged back onto the couch, he pulled his fingers from her, kissed her thigh, and sat back to wipe his face and clean his fingers.

She looked down at Draco and then at Theo, picking up her strokes again when she realized she had stopped. "You want more?" he asked her.

She nodded and then looked at Draco again.

"What do you want, Granger?" Draco asked. "You have to tell us."

"I want someone to fuck me." She blushed as she said it and couldn't muster the courage to say what else she wanted.

But Draco wouldn't let her off the hook. "Out with it, Granger, or you don't get anything else."

The thought of them stopping made her mouth run dry and she wet her lips with a slight shake of her head. She slid her hand down her body and used her index finger middle finger to part her folds. "I want someone to fuck me here," she said, her voice still wavering a little. "And here," she added as she moved her hand to her mouth, tasting herself slightly in her fingers as she tapped her lips.

"Get up," Draco ordered, looking at both of them. As he got to his feet, he began to shed his clothes; Theo and Hermione followed suit. Before he gave any more orders, Draco looped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a bruising kiss. She could feel his arousal pressed against her lower abdomen and a fresh wave of need collected between her folds. When he released her, he spun her towards the couch and instructed her to get into a downward dog position.

When she was settled on her elbows and knees, Draco knelt as best he could behind her. Theo settled back down on the couch and positioned himself so that Hermione's mouth could find him easily. The moment she was able, she swirled her tongue around the tip and then took him into her mouth, lowering her head as far as she could.

While she continued pleasing Theo, Draco grabbed the flesh of her rear and spread her cheeks. She moaned around Theo as Draco's cock rubbed through her slit until he was wet from her slick. After a moment to position himself, he snapped his hips and buried his cock deep within her core.

With hands resting on her hips, Draco gave her a moment to adjust before he began setting an unrelenting pace of thrusting. She closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation of Draco fucking her while her mouth was wrapped around Theo. It was unlike anything she had ever expected. To be with more than one person was something she only thought could exist in a fantasy or porn. Not something she would ever experience herself.

Hermione jumped as she felt a finger touch her clit. She didn't know who it belonged to, but it was pushing her even faster into her second orgasm of the night. She could feel both of their cocks pulsating in their respective parts of her body; it wouldn't be long before they were all coming. She wondered if they would come together.

At that thought, she whimpered as a hand fisted her hair and held tight. As Draco picked up the pace of his thrusts, Theo began taking over and thrusting into her mouth in time to what Draco was doing. She tried her best to open herself up more for him and she must have done something right because a moment later, he slammed into her, almost hitting the back of her throat, and spilled his seed into her mouth. She swallowed most of it down, though some managed to slide out past her lips and down the remainder of his shaft.

"Fuck, that's going to make me come," Draco growled from behind her and with a few brutal thrusts of his own, his cock pulsed as he came inside her core, pushing her over the edge as well.

Sated on all fronts, Hermione lifted her head first and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. As she did, Draco eased himself out of her and then carefully helped her sit before plopping down next to her. Hermione looked between the both of them, biting her lip against a smile. Theo kissed her first, swallowing hard at the taste of himself on her tongue. When she pulled away, Draco pulled her in for a kiss of his own. The taste of Theo mixed with the taste of herself in Draco's mouth was more arousing than she thought it would be.

"We should probably clean up before we ruin my couch," she said, though her legs refused to move.

"I'll buy you a better one," Draco countered.

She smacked him lightheartedly and then sighed before pushing herself to her feet. They took turns in the bathroom to clean themselves up and then redressed. Hermione cleaned off the couch and then went to the kitchen for a glass of water. After taking a drink, she watched the two of them argue over what to do for dinner and what movie to watch. She found herself smiling. If this is what it would be like for the foreseeable future, she was more than glad she agreed to their Option B. The thought of what else they could do together made her aroused again.

She cleared her throat and plopped herself down on the couch between them. "I want pizza."

"And you suppose you'll get it because you said you want it?" Draco asked, fire in his eyes.

She smirked and tilted her chin up a bit. "Isn't that how it works? I just say the words and you do what I want?"

"Keep that up and we'll go again, Granger."

She laughed and turned to look at Theo. "When you order, get wings too."

"Worked up an appetite, did you?" he teased as he reached for his phone on the coffee table.

Her laughter renewed before she started to argue with Draco over the remote while Theo placed an online order. When they settled on a movie, the room fell silent for a moment. She looked between them again a few times before Draco muted the television. "Is it weird for either of you?" she asked.

"If we let it be," Theo answered. "How do you feel?"

Both of them looked at her expectantly and she stared straight forward, gnawing at her bottom lip. "I feel that it should be awkward, but it's surprisingly not and _that's_ making it more awkward." She looked between the two of them, hoping it made sense.

"Don't overthink it, Granger," Draco said, reaching for her hand.

Theo took her other hand and they both squeezed her reassuringly. "It's new territory for all of us, but I quite like what we've stumbled into."

Hermione nodded and then looked at Draco who inclined his head. "Well alright then," she said, smiling at both of them. With that, she relaxed and they went back to watching the movie, still holding their hands as they waited for dinner to arrive.


	10. Wedding Date

**TEN**

**Wedding Date**

Even though Hermione knew they were leaving the apartment at an ungodly hour the following morning, she stayed at Ginny's late. When she had arrived home, there were only a few hours of time that she had to sleep. And despite the fact that she had only had one glass of wine at Ginny's, she slept through her alarms. It was Theo that woke her, telling her if she didn't get up soon, she was not only going to miss breakfast, but Draco was going to throw her in the shower.

She glared at Draco on her way to the bathroom to enjoy what was left of the hot water before sauntering back to her room. She hadn't even bothered with a towel and smirked as she felt two pairs of eyes rake over her as she took the few steps from the bathroom to her bedroom. She dressed in her favorite lounging pants and a long-sleeved shirt that had seen better days.

And as she thought about doing something with her hair, she remembered Pansy's demand that she not do a damn thing. Not wanting to chance the threat that followed, Hermione decided to let it air dry and went to the kitchen for a quick breakfast.

The ride to the venue was a little over an hour outside the city. She had expected Theo to drive and was content with stretching out in the backseat of his car and continue to sleep, but she laughed at herself when Draco grabbed her hand and led her to a fancy town car that was waiting in the lot. The driver was already standing outside with the back door open.

She had been surprised at how roomy the back was. Even if she was sandwiched between them, she didn't feel squished. And she soon found that sitting up did nothing to keep her from falling asleep. She woke to find herself with her head in Theo's lap and legs draped over Draco's.

Their first stop was not the venue, but a quaint hotel nearby. They led her to the lift and it opened into a private suite. Astoria was there waiting for them. She grabbed Hermione's hand and led her down the short hallway and pointed to a door off to the right. "Pansy's in there," she said, giving her a little shove. "Draco, this way and Theo, your stuff is in here," she said, pointing them to their own rooms.

"See you in a bit," she told them.

"You'll see them at the venue," Astoria corrected. "Mister Goyle will be arriving in thirty minutes to escort you two to the venue. The three of us will be arriving by town car shortly before the ceremony starts."

"Mister Goyle?" she questioned.

Astoria nodded. "Pansy's husband." She waved her hands in a shooing motion. "You best get in there before she yells at _me_."

Hermione nodded and looked between the boys. "Guess I'll see you there," she said and slipped inside the door Astoria pointed her towards.

"There you are," Pansy said, waving her over to sit at the chair in front of a large vanity.

Pansy already had her hair expertly curled and pinned elegantly in a half updo. Her makeup was dark and sultry in combination with the silk robe she wore. "I didn't mean to be late."

She laughed and shook her head. "You're not late, but if you keep standing there, you will be."

Hermione jumped and crossed the room to throw herself into the chair. "Thanks for doing this for me."

She nodded as she picked up a brush and began to work on the knots that amassed from sleeping in the car. "Drake's never come to me for a favor involving a woman before," she said, trying not to pull to hard at the larger knots. "And Theo seems quite taken with you as well."

Hermione met Pansy's gaze in the mirror and looked away when her cheeks turned pink.

"I know you've been dying to ask me questions about them and about the nature of my relationship. Ask away, Hermione. You'll find I'm not shy."

Hermione laughed. "Oh, I'm aware that you're not."

Pansy returned her laughter with a bit of her own. "I see the questions in your eyes. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

And for the duration of her time with Pansy, she asked the questions that had been fogging her mind since the beginning of the week when they had both kissed her. And by the time she saw her reflection in the mirror after getting all dolled up, she felt reassured about her decision and ready to take on the world.

* * *

Hermione had never felt time stop before. But as Theo and Draco turned to see her enter the venue after Pansy, that's exactly what happened. The expressions on both of their faces stole the breath from her lungs and boosted her confidence even further.

In tandem, they swept their gazes down her from head to toe. Taking in her tamed curls held back by a few well-placed small braids and her smoky eyes paired with soft red lips. Then down to her illusion top, the sheer blue fabric dotted with crystals to add a bit of sparkle. From there, the bodice was a deep navy satin that clung to her curves down to her waist. From there, the fabric flowed around her as it spilled down to the floor.

She watched as they appraised her and then exchanged a glance between the two of them, showcasing their approval. She blushed furiously as she stepped forward to approach them. After having them each take one of her hands and kiss the back of it in greeting, they introduced her to Gregory, Pansy's husband.

When it was time, they were ushered into their seats and she once again found herself between Draco and Theo. She accepted that this was going to be their normal seating arrangements and smiled to herself as they each grabbed one of her hands again.

When the reception was underway, they finally introduced her to Blaise Zabini. He didn't comment on their relationship and she wondered if they had even discussed that with him. However, it was evident that they had shared enough stories about her with him that he was able to tease her right away. She teased right back and much to both Theo and Draco's dismay, he began to fill her with embarrassing stories about the both of them.

When the conversation began to gear more towards their pending business deal, Hermione felt the result of a few too many glasses of champagne and asked Theo to escort her the bathroom. He followed her inside the little room and helped her gather up the fabric of her skirt so she could relieve herself.

"Well this takes us to a whole new level," she said, grinning up at Theo.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Not really. We've been living together for over two years. We've definitely broken this barrier a few times already."

She hiccupped in response and then laughed as she realized he was right. When she was finished, she flushed and turned to the sink to wash her hands. Theo adjusted her skirt for her and waited for her to dry her hands. As she moved to open the door, she found herself being pressed against it with Theo before her.

"You look amazing tonight, Hermione," he said, a finger trailing up the bare skin of her arm.

"You look quite dashing in a suit," she returned.

He dipped his head down and brushed his lips over hers. Her hands rose to his chest, her palms flat against the lapels of his jacket. She parted her lips to deepen the kiss. She could taste a hint of strawberries from the champagne on his tongue and it made her moan softly.

But a hiccup followed her moan and they broke away with a bit of laughter. "Maybe you should stick to water for the rest of the night," he suggested. They both knew hiccups meant she had reached her limit. Any more and she would be a sobbing, angry mess.

"Th-this _is_ okay, right?" she asked before he pulled away from her.

He searched her eyes and then shook his head. "I'm not following."

"Us. Kissing here without Draco. Is it considered cheating if I do stuff with one of you without the other?"

He reached up and cupped her face gently, shaking his head as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I think Draco and I are on the same page about this, but as long as it's one of us you're with, no, it's not cheating."

She gave him a playful shove. "Two of you is enough. I will not be looking to add _more_ men into this."

"Well that's good," he teased and moved out of reach before she could shove him again. "And you can ask him as well, but I'm well aware that there might be some times where both of us might be too much. I know I would like some alone time with you and so would Draco. Just communicate with us, Hermione. I promise I will never get jealous or upset if you say you want time with him and I know he would say the same if you told him you just wanted me. And that goes for dates, sex, and everything in between."

She nodded and he kissed her once more before they returned to the reception. When Draco pulled her onto the dance floor for a slow song, she asked him the same question and he echoed Theo's words almost exactly. As happy as it made her to hear that, she wondered if that would always be the case.

* * *

The town car that had taken them from their flat that morning was the same one that picked them up from the reception later that night. It had been over an hour since she'd had her last glass of champagne, but the exhaustion of the day caught up with her by the time she sat down between them.

She woke when the car came rolling to a stop and it took her a moment to realize they were already at home. She felt as though she had just closed her eyes. When the driver opened the door, Draco stepped out first and then helped her out as well. Once Theo was out, the driver tipped his hat at the three of them and they turned towards the building to head upstairs.

Even getting home felt like a blur and she barely registered Theo unlocking the door. The moment she was inside, the urge to get out of her dress and crash in her bed was overwhelming. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth as yawn after yawn escaped her. Dreamily, she smiled between the two of them and then turned to present her back to them, sweeping her hair off to one side.

"Can one of you unzip me please?"

She heard them both chuckle a moment before she felt hands on the nape of her neck. She knew there were a few buttons to undo before the zipper. Whoever it was, they let their fingers brush against the skin of her back as they brought the zipper down, the bearing of teeth the only sound in the room.

She closed her eyes and shivered, only to open them again when she felt fingers under her jaw, tilting her face up. She opened her eyes to Theo and smiled as he leaned in to pillow their lips softly. She felt Draco's lips on her shoulder as his fingers deftly pushed her dress forward, freeing it from her arms before letting it pool around her feet.

Her yawn broke her kiss and she blushed furiously. "Sorry," she mumbled, all too aware that she was now naked between two fully clothed men. "I thought I said this dress was supposed to stay on all night?" she teased.

"It's after midnight," Draco said from behind her still, his lips on her shoulder again. "Technically the night is over."

Hermione rolled her eyes, earning a smile from Theo. "Come on, it's been a long day. Let's get you to bed," he said, kissing the tip of her nose.

She nodded, fighting the urge to yawn again. She looked towards her room, eyeing her bed wearily. She wasn't sure if they were expecting to join her, nor was she sure if she wanted to go to bed alone. Seeming to know what was on her mind, Draco grabbed her hand and led her towards her room.

When Draco dropped her hand as they stopped at the bed, she turned to see that not only had Theo followed them in, but they were both stripping down completely. If she hadn't been ready to fall asleep on her feet, not caring if she collapsed, she would have been slick with want. The sight still made her ache, but in a completely foreign and exciting way.

They both climbed onto the mattress, pulling her in between them. Draco settled at her back, drawing her flush against his front. As he looped an arm around her waist, Theo scooted closer to her other side. She shifted so that she could lay her head on his chest and before she knew it, she fell asleep wrapped up between the two of them.


	11. Make it Official

**ELEVEN**

**Make It Official**

Waking up between Theo and Draco the next morning was surreal. It had taken a moment for her to realize that the legs hers were twined with did not belong to the same person whose arms were coiled around her upper body. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open and found herself practically nose to nose with Draco.

She smiled as she watched him sleep. He looked peaceful and childlike. It was his legs that were mingled with hers and when she shifted slightly, she could feel his arousal stirring against her thigh. She bit her lip and watched curiously to see if he would wake as well, but he must have been tired because his eyes remained shut.

Theo, on the other hand, had felt her shift as she felt his cock hardening against her rear. His arms tightened around her, drawing her back even further against him while he buried his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. The hand that she wasn't laying on moved up, cupping her breast softly, gently rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"Good morning," he whispered, planting kisses along her skin.

"Morning," she returned, shifting more so that their bodies could mold together seamlessly.

She shivered as his hand left her breast and began to smooth its way down. She shifted as much as she dared without waking Draco, which wasn't much, but Theo was still able to run his fingers through her folds. He hummed in approval at the discovery that she was wet already, the vibration making her shiver again.

"I want you," he murmured.

She was still in a sleepy daze and didn't quite have the faith in her voice to say much. Or at least make it coherent. Instead, she nodded vigorously and pushed her hips back signaling she wanted him too. He removed his hand from her core and she whined at her loss, earning a slight chuckle from him. He placed his hand on her hip and scooted down a bit so that he was in the right position. After some careful maneuvering, not wanting to disturb Draco either, he slid inside her.

Hermione turned her head towards the pillow to stifle her moan. From the angle of her hips and the restraints of the way she was positioned, the friction was like nothing she had experienced before. Theo noticed it too, when his teeth grazed her shoulder, his body shuddering behind her.

"I'm not going to last long like this," he muttered.

She squeezed her eyes shut, biting at her lip as he slowed his pace, trying to draw it out for both of them. Hermione had never been one to be able to orgasm just from penetration alone unless it wasn't her first one of the night. However, at this angle, she already felt like she was on the brink of one.

He nipped at her shoulder again, this time a little harder. She ground her hips back against him and arched her neck. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring right into Draco's grey gaze. She tried to smile at him, but Theo picked up the pace enough to force her expression into one of ecstasy. Her eyes flickered down as Draco shifted and saw him start to stroke himself. When she looked back up, he was smirking at her and his eyes had darkened a bit.

She moaned again as Theo's hand took advantage of Draco's new position. His index finger found her clit and began to work her even faster towards her release. Her inner walls were already clutching at him, trying to draw him in further right before they began to flutter, signaling it wouldn't be long. She reached back with her arm and her fingers gripped tight on his ass as he pounded away.

Her eyes went wide, but never left Draco's as a cry escaped her lips when Theo brought her over the edge. He dissolved into his own moans of pleasure against her neck as his movements stopped so her body could milk the last of his release from him. Panting with exertion, he lingered in the position of being curled around her.

Breathless, Hermione closed her eyes briefly, only to yelp in surprise as she felt herself being lifted. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself looking down at Draco while she straddled him. His hands were on her hips, guiding her over him. She moaned loudly and tossed her head back when he pulled her down, causing him to impale her without ceremony.

Her entire body shuddered with pleasure as he set a mind numbing pace of thrusting beneath her. Her moans fell in rapid succession as she tingled with orgasm that was sure to addle her brain if he didn't stop. As if reading her thoughts, he smirked and didn't stop. She cried out as she came undone on top of him and he continued to thrust like crazy until she collapsed forward, her palms smacking against his chest.

After slowing his pace to give her a chance to catch her breath, Hermione adjusted herself and began to rock her hips from above, effectively taking control. His eyes widened and his lips parted as he gazed up at her with approval. For a moment, she glowered down at him, thinking he was going to put his arms behind his head and just watch her do all the work. Instead, he reached up to play with her breasts, kneading and pinching them tenderly while she continued to gyrate.

Her gaze slid to Theo who was watching them curiously. His own hazel eyes had gone a bit darker with lust. When he caught her gaze, he smiled and she returned it, albeit with her bottom lip between her teeth. A blush stole to her cheeks and another moan escaped her as Theo reached over and began to thumb at her clit.

"Oh fuck," she whispered, her hips jerking.

Draco's hands squeezed her breasts as his jaw clenched and eyes fluttered. "You can come a third time, can't you, Granger?" he asked, his voice raspy with sleep and desire.

She shook her head erratically, not convinced that she could despite the way her body felt. She was starting to feel overstimulated, but Theo's fingers were relentless on her clit as Draco began moving his hips again, pushing his cock even deeper inside of her.

"One more," he said, his voice bringing her gaze back to his.

She swallowed hard and nodded, letting her head tip back a little, her curls cascading down her back. She let her eyes close and she focused on the way Draco's hands felt on her breasts, his cock as she rocked her hips more, and Theo's touch. It was there, just beneath the surface, but… She let out a growl of frustrations and picked up the pace of her movements.

"That's it," Draco purred beneath her. "Fuck, Hermione. You feel amazing."

She nodded, her hair tickling her skin as she moved.

"Such a good girl, riding my-"

She cut Draco off midsentence by squeezing him so tight she thought she might break him. She cried out so loud she was sure her neighbor had heard and he groaned right along with her as his hips came off the bed to bury himself to the hilt. Her entire body trembled as she felt him twitch and unload his release, mixing with Theo's.

She could obsess about how weird of a thought that was once she regained her sense of self. At the moment, it was all she could do not to collapse in a mess atop them both.

After a few moments to regain some control, they helped her detach from Draco and then she was on her back staring up at the ceiling with them lying shoulder to shoulder with her. Her entire body continued to tremble and ache in the most delicious way possible and she couldn't help but smile as she turned her head towards them both.

"That's one way to start the day," Theo chuckled.

Draco and Hermione nodded in unison. "Was it the dirty talk itself or the appraisal that did it?" Draco asked.

She swallowed and turned to him with a shrug. "Both? Not sure. Guess you'll just have to keep experimenting."

He smirked. "Not a problem." He then pushed himself up on his elbow and looked at her and Theo. "What _is_ a problem is this bed."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "What's wrong with my bed?"

"It's small."

"It's a queen," she stated, shooting him a look. "It's a decent size for a normal person."

"But with three normal people, I think it's time for an upgrade," Theo stated.

Hermione turned her head sharply, her mouth agape. He usually took her side. "Next I suppose you two suggest we move to a bigger place?" They exchanged a look amongst themselves and Hermione sighed, pushing Draco onto his back again so she could shimmy her way down the middle of the bed to get to her feet.

"Maybe we could start by getting me a key to _this_ place," Draco said. "I think I've earned one."

"We can go to the hardware store today and get that done," Hermione consented, taking her leave to clean up. In the end, she decided on a shower, having never been quite such a mess after sex. She supposed that was how it would be when she slept with them at the same time.

Under the spray of the water, her thoughts circled back to the fact that they had both come inside of her, one right after the other. Realistically, she knew if they had had a problem with it, they wouldn't have both been willing to fuck her this morning in the presence of the other. They wouldn't have proposed 'Option B' at all, really; both of them were too smart not to have thought this was a possibility should she accept.

She swallowed and tilted her face up into the water for a moment. Either way, it would take some getting used to; all of it would. It was a learning curve for all of them; something they would figure out together along the way.

* * *

Not only did they all leave the house after taking their sweet, _sweet_ time getting ready, but they ended up getting a new bed. And not just one for her room, no, they got a matching one for Theo's room. They tried to make every excuse to justify it to her, but in the end, Draco admitted it was because it was a _nice_ bed and if she was mad enough to kick him out of it, he had a back up to go to.

She almost reconsidered getting him his own key.

After arguing back and forth about the bedspread and the linens for their new king beds, and only because the California king wouldn't fit in their rooms at that flat, did Theo step in and tell them to take it outside. He knew them both well enough to get something to appease them both.

The last stop was the hardware store to get the key and then a late dinner. The beds were being delivered the next day and Hermione wondered if Draco hadn't paid someone extra to do so on a Sunday. She didn't think about it too long though, the bed really was comfortable and she would definitely be thinking about it when she went to sleep that night.

Theo even chose the restaurant when it was clear Draco and Hermione could do nothing but argue over everything. "You two are the biggest hotheads I have ever met. You're lucky I'm here to keep you from killing each other."

"We're not that bad," Hermione bristled.

Draco snorted and Theo chuckled. "You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart," he said, smiling sweetly at her.

She made a face and shook her head.

"Not a fan of 'sweetheart,' _darling_?" Draco asked, laughing as she scowled at him.

"Pet names in general."

"Those are terms of endearment," Draco replied, smirking at her from across the table, his voice going husky. "Would you like to hear some of the pet names I've been thinking of?"

Hermione stared at him and then found herself squirming in her seat. "We are in _public_ ," she rasped out, looking around cautiously at the other patrons in the restaurant, heat creeping up her face.

She went still as she felt Theo's hand on her thigh beneath the table, his fingers tracing obscure patterns over her jeans as they worked their way up towards her crotch. "Your point?" he asked her, his voice also having dropped a few octaves.

She came to her senses and huffed as she pushed his hand away. "I'm still recovering from this morning and you two are already thinking about more?" she asked, looking sharply between the two of them.

"We're men," Theo said with a shrug, reaching for his drink. "We really don't think about anything else."

Draco was eager to chime in with, "And how could we when you look so good riding-"

"Enough," she interrupted, her cheeks burning. She wondered if she could die of embarrassment and knew that if it was possible, it was sure to happen soon.

Draco smirked over the rim of his glass before he took a drink. "You'll come around," he assured her.

Hermione huffed and tilted her chin in annoyance. "I think I'm going to enjoy one last night in my small bed all to myself." She looked between the two of them who retrained their smirks despite the fact they were feigning to be hurt. "Have fun cuddling up to each other tonight."

"What do you say, Draco? Old time's sake?" Theo asked, playing off of her previous assumptions.

She rolled her eyes, but the three of them dissolved into laughter as the waitress arrived with their food.


	12. Meet The Parents

**TWELVE**

**Meet the Parents**

True to her word, Hermione had barred them both from her room that night and woke up equally missing them beside her, but enjoying the ability to stretch out freely. To make them suffer a bit longer, she even took her time waking up and picking out her clothes before dressing for the day. However, a phone call put a damper on her good mood and she answered it to her mother.

They exchanged their pleasantries and Hermione felt a little guilty as her mother caught her up on all the things they had been doing over the past few months. Between their schedule and her job, she hadn't seen them in awhile. However, she regretted voicing that thought almost immediately.

"Your father and I will be going to The States for a few weeks. Let's go to dinner tonight. Why don't you bring Theo if he's not busy?"

"He has a guest over," she answered quickly.

"Draco again or a female guest?" her mother asked. Hermione smiled to herself. Jean Granger had never been very subtle.

"Draco."

There was a moment of silence before her mother said the three words that made butterflies flutter wildly in her stomach. "Bring him too."

"I'll see if he's free."

"Great, we'll see you at seven. I have to run, love you, Mione," her mother said and ended the call abruptly like she always did. And she didn't even have to state which restaurant; they always went to the same one.

Hermione sighed and let her phone drop onto the bed before reaching up to rub her temples. Of course she wanted Draco and Theo both to come to dinner, but she wasn't sure how that would go. It was one thing to tell Ginny about the three of them, but her _parents._ Never.

Her mother already adored Theo and had made more than one comment since he moved in that she would just love it if they got together. She had met Draco once before and Hermione had definitely talked about him, but Jean had given no indication one way or another how she felt. Her father, on the other hand had made it _very_ clear how he felt. Russell Granger did not like it one bit that Theo was her roommate. He may like Theo on a personal level, but he was a traditionalist at heart and believed very strongly that men and women should not live together unless they were married. A belief he had reiterated even more when he had heard Draco was staying over often as well.

Hermione cringed. She could never tell them what they were doing.

There was a short knock on her door before Draco simply opened it and waltzed in. She looked up in time to see him smirk, open his mouth, and then immediately closed it when he took in the sight of her. "You alright?" he asked, coming to sit next to her.

"My parents are going out of town for a bit so they invited me out to dinner."

His brow shot up quizzically. "I thought you liked your parents?"

"I do," she replied immediately. "They invited you and Theo as well."

He studied her and then tipped his head to the side. "And you don't want us to go?"

"I want you there," she said, reaching over to grasp his hand. "It's just…" She chewed at her bottom lip, trying to think of the best way to explain it without hurting anyone's feelings. "I think my father would literally have a heart attack if he knew about the three of us."

Draco smirked and laced his fingers with hers. "You're worrying for no reason. Theo and I are perfectly capable of holding very civilized conversations, you know."

She rolled her eyes. "I _know_."

"I have no intentions of telling your mother or father how the three of us spend our free time. This is far too new for the three of us. Not to mention taboo. When you feel that _you're_ ready to broach that topic with them, then Theo and I will be there to tell them right alongside you."

She smiled as he brought her hand up to his mouth so he could kiss her knuckles.

"And that goes for anyone else that you don't want to know. I'm not looking to flaunt anything to the masses."

She nodded and thought about it. "I want to get there. To be able to show you both affection no matter where we are or who's watching. It's just going to take a lot of getting used to."

"And it's not just you that needs to adjust."

She smiled guiltily. She had been thinking mostly of how she would feel in public and not really about whether or not they were comfortable in public. "Well now I feel like a selfish bitch."

He laughed with her. "Want breakfast?"

"Sure," she said, letting him draw her to her feet. However, instead of moving right away, she hesitated, her fingers tapping against his where their hands were still joined. "Can I ask you something? About yesterday."

He studied her. "Was it too much?"

"No," she replied quickly, bringing heat to her cheeks and a smirk to his face. She cleared her throat and forced the words out before she lost her nerve. Both of them had been very adamant that she just voice her concerns and communicate. "Unexpected, yes, but not too much," she said and shifted her weight. "Just… The both of you…" she swallowed and drew in a breath. "Theo had just- And then you-" She sighed again, dropping her eyes to the space between them, focusing on the neckline of his shirt. "It didn't bother you?"

His free hand rose to cup her cheek and she felt his thumb press against her jaw, tilting her head up. There was a tinge of amusement and desire in his eyes that made her breath hitch a moment before he leaned in, his lips ghosting over the shell of her ear. "It doesn't bother me in the slightest, Hermione." She shivered. "Do you want to know why?"

"Y-yes."

He let go of her hand to place his on her hip and pull her closer to him. "Because it's going to happen again," he breathed, nipping at her lobe. "And again." Another kiss. "And then too many times to count after that."

She turned her head to give him better access to the column of her throat, shuddering something fierce as he nipped and licked at her skin. She practically melted into him, her fingers curling into his shirt to hold herself up.

"Sometimes," he rasped, his tongue swirling at her clavicle. "We'll even fill you up at the same time."

The moan that escaped her lips was loud enough to echo off the walls. Her brain was in such a fog that it took her a moment to realize that he had pulled away. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, her voice raw with need.

He smirked something fierce at her. "The beds will be here any minute, so we don't have time."

Her lips parted to say something, but he cut her off with a quick kiss to the lips, moving out of reach before she could grab him. "You did that on purpose, asshole."

"Payback for being such a selfish bitch, then," he teased, spreading his hands in surrender when she glared at him. "Your words, _love_." He darted out of the room and she ran after him, but he was faster and slammed the door shut to Theo's room, shouting at her from inside. "And don't even try to ask Theo for help! You're not getting anything from either of us until after dinner."

She crossed her arms and scowled at the door. "Guess I'll break in my new _large_ bed all by myself tonight," she threatened, turning towards the kitchen for some water. "Forgot how nice it is to starfish."

She heard the door crack open and turned to see him leaning his shoulder against the frame, arms crossed in front of him. "Theo's lost his touch in cuddling, you know."

She laughed so hard she spit water out of her nose. Draco was at her side in a few strides to help her clean up and laughing right along with him. Just as they got themselves under control, someone knocked on the door and Draco stepped away to allow the delivery team in.

* * *

The appetizers hadn't even been brought to the table before Hermione's face was permanently as red as Ginny's hair. Her father was staring at Theo and Draco in equal distaste from their seats on either side of her across the table from him. And her mother? Oh, she was a thousand times chattier than usual, asking both of them questions that mostly focused on their love lives. All the while, she was asking in that not so subtle way of hinting that her daughter was available and she liked them both.

Their evasion and vague answers of the questions was only more justification that it was unhealthy and improper for unwed men and women to live together.

The worst part? Hermione had to pace herself with her drinks lest she get too chatty herself. Which meant she had to endure being mortified in a mostly sober state of mind.

Actually, if she was being honest with herself, the _worst_ part was really Draco's hand on her left thigh. Or was it Theo's hand on her right knee? Either way, dinner was torture from start to finish.

Hermione gave both Theo and Draco the silent treatment the entire way home.

Granted, most of it wasn't in retaliation for driving her mad; though she was still sort of "upset" with Draco for earlier. And at Theo for playing along. It was her thoughts had gone over to what her parents had said and how they had acted. They had been waiting for her to find "the one" and introduce him to them. Then settle down, have the big wedding, pop out a few grandkids; the works. And, as her mother had _oh so kindly_ reminded her, she wasn't getting any younger.

By the time they got home, the playful mood they had been working her towards before and during dinner was practically gone.

Inside the flat, Theo took one of her hands and led her to the couch while Draco went to the kitchen to pour them all glasses of wine. Theo sat down in his favorite spot on the right arm and then pulled her into his lap. She sat perpendicular to him and he let one arm rest on her thighs while the other wound around her back, his hand beginning to stroke her in a comforting way.

"What's on your mind?" he asked once Draco handed them each a glass and sat down next to Theo, carefully moving her feet into his lap.

"Nothing really."

"Try again, Granger."

She stared at Draco for a moment and then huffed, taking a sip from her glass. She turned to Theo. "I love them, I really do, but their guilt trip was something else tonight. I should have told them you were both out of town."

"Then you would have had to go alone and you wouldn't have had us to take the brunt of your father's judgement," Theo said, smiling softly at her.

"I would have taken Ginny. She and my father would have just talked sports and Mum would have kept nagging him to stop. Absolutely none of the attention would have been on me."

Wisely, Theo didn't try to contradict her. He had seen her father react with her best friend before and knew it to be completely true. "Are you happy with how your life as turned out?" Theo asked, taking a sip of his own wine.

"My job sucks, but otherwise yes."

"Then quit," Draco said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"No job means no money. No money implies I cannot pay my bills. AND…" she rushed on as Draco took a breath and parted his lips to say what she knew he would say. "I'm not going to just stay at home and do nothing with my life other than fuck you both while you pay for everything. That would redefine what we have and turn it ugly."

Draco narrowed his eyes at her. "Firstly, I don't appreciate you insinuating that we would cover all the bills in return for sex. I was never going to say such a thing." She felt her cheeks burn in shame. "And second, if you need to quit and take time to figure out what it is you actually want to do; something that gives you real joy, Theo and I would happily support you however we can to make that happen."

Theo brought his arm from behind her back so that he could wrap his fingers lightly around her jaw and turn her face towards him. "He's right, Hermione. Just… Think about it, truly. If that's what you decide what you want to do, we'll do whatever you need."

She stared at Theo for a moment and then lifted her face from his grasp to look back at Draco. "I appreciate the gesture. I will give it some thought."

"But?" Draco asked.

"But," she stared, her lips twitching slightly at how well he knew her. "It just feels like an awful lot of give from you two and take from me. I feel like I have nothing to offer either of you except for sex." She sighed, tapping her fingers on the glass. "And this flat."

"That's so far from the truth, it's not even funny," Theo said.

Hermione had never heard that tone of voice before from him and it sounded strange. She turned her head to see him staring at her, a hint of anger darkening his hazel eyes. "Theo-"

"What you bring to the table is infinitely more important that this flat or sex. Without them, I still would want you by my side. You don't have to bring anything but yourself to the table, Hermione. You alone will always be enough."

They stared at each other until Draco broke the tension.

"I've made my disdain for this flat clear from the get-go, Granger, so you can piss off with that excuse." There was definitely a fair bit of hurt in his grey eyes as well when she looked at him. "And I sure as hell didn't come here as often as I did for Theo's sake. Even if you shot me down had I approached you, I would still come around because you're smart and funny and can banter like no one else."

She dropped her gaze to her lap and tapped her wine glass again. "I think I'm just getting ahead of myself."

They both made noises of agreement, to which she smiled. "Let's turn in for the night," Theo suggested. "Sleep off whatever funk your parents put you in and we'll start fresh tomorrow."

She nodded and took another sip before handing her glass to Draco and sliding off Theo's lap as gracefully as she could. They got to their feet as well and both stepped forward to plant a kiss on her, their lips connecting with her cheeks at the same time.

She smiled and reached for the glasses, setting them on the coffee table. They could clean them up in the morning. Then she took a hand from each of them and pulled them behind her towards her room. Much like when they had returned from the wedding, they undressed her before shucking their own clothes and crawling into bed.

She refused to admit out loud that it was much more comfortable with more room, but when they woke up in the morning, it wouldn't have mattered if the entire room was made of mattress. They were all a mass of tangled limbs anyway.


	13. White Knight

**THIRTEEN**

**White Knight**

When she woke Monday morning, she was alone, but her disappointment dissolved immediately as the smell of breakfast and coffee wafted in from the kitchen. Throwing on fresh knickers and her favorite shirt, she went to the bathroom and then joined them in the kitchen. Seeing them already in their work attire, completely ready for the day, made her groan. She had quite enjoyed her time off from work.

"Are you going in today?" Draco asked, setting her coffee mug in front of her.

"Why wouldn't I? It's my job," she said, feigning ignorance. She didn't want to rehash their conversation from the night before.

He narrowed his eyes at her, but Theo prevented him from speaking his mind as he nudged him out of the way so he could put some food in front of her. "Will they have a new client for you?"

She shrugged and she dug into her plate. "I don't remember seeing anyone of high value to sign, but who knows." She drank some of her coffee. "Kingsley might have something up his sleeve."

They both took their seats at the table and began to eat as well. "You know, this might be for the best. I know you wanted to sign Flint, but did you really want to be around him any longer than you needed to be?" Theo asked.

Draco's eyes gleamed with murderous intent. "This Flint character… What _exactly_ has he done?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Really. He's just… He's extremely sexist and because he's got offers pouring in from everywhere he thinks he can get whatever he wants."

"And what did he want?"

Hermione and Theo made the mistake of sharing a look; one that only upset Draco even further. "Draco, I promise you, nothing happened. He never laid a hand on me. He was just all stares and lots of talk."

"That's how men like him start, Hermione. When the minor things don't satisfy anymore or the thrill of the chase gets old, nothing stops them."

"Well, I don't have to worry about him anymore."

"You shouldn't have had to worry about him in the first place," he fired back. "And so long as he's still working with anyone in your office, he'll always be something you should worry about. He won't just lose interest because you're not in his direct line of vision anymore."

Hermione shot to her feet and sighed. "I appreciate the protectiveness because I know it stems from wanting me to be safe, but you need to stop it. You're being overbearing. I'm not quitting because some sleazy asshole made a perverse comment a time or two. If I did that, I would be finding myself in a new career twice a year if not more."

With that, she stormed into the bathroom and went about her morning routine. She didn't even look their way when she went to finish up in her bedroom. When she came out of her room with the intention to leave, it was only Theo in the kitchen. He gave her a half smile as he handed her her travel mug of coffee and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Just let him cool down on his own," Theo said.

"But-"

"Please, Hermione, just…" He swallowed and reached for her free hand to lace their fingers together, his other hand tucking curls behind her ear. "He's always been the over-protective type; especially when it comes to men that impose themselves on women."

"Or children," she stated.

Theo drew in a shaky breath and nodded once. Even though Draco had told her about Theo's childhood, he had never really discussed it with her. "It was so bizarre going to his house when I was younger. Our lives were similar enough and our families were friends, but only on the surface. Draco's father, outwardly, was a cold and calculated man. He is conniving and ambitious, but he loves his family. At home, he treats Narcissa like a queen and Draco like a prince. He would never lay a hand on either of them, but his affection was still few and far between.

"Then you have my father who was so friendly to everyone when other people were watching. He was the life of the party and everyone loved him. It was a completely different story when it was just me. I tried my hardest to stay out of his way, but he always found me. He treated us the complete opposite the way Lucius did. And everything got worse after…" He trailed off and straightened his spine.

"So just… don't get mad when he tries to protect you from harm, Hermione. And you may think Flint's little advances don't mean anything, but Draco's right to a certain degree."

Hermione nodded and blinked back tears as her heart broke listening to his story. She set her mug on the bar and wound her arms around Theo to pull him close. She cradled his head with her hands as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, his arms wrapping around her tight enough to cut off her air supply, but she didn't care. They stayed wrapped up in one another for what felt like an eternity before he pulled back and kissed her briefly.

He smiled down at her and sighed. "You know, this was not what I wanted to talk about when you came out of your room."

She returned his smile and let her fingers card through his unruly hair. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I know you said our first date should be the three of us, but I have to go out of town tomorrow morning. I'll be home Friday afternoon sometime. So I was wondering if you would be okay going to dinner with just me tonight."

Her lips parted in a full grin and she nodded. "I would love to."

He leaned in and kissed her again, both of them laughing into it before they pulled away. "Then I'll see you after work."

"Can't wait," she replied, pulling him back for one last kiss before taking her coffee and heading towards the door for her shoes and purse. Then she was out the door and on her way to work.

* * *

To her surprise, Kingsley had more than one potential client for her to sign when she got back. And nearly all of them were almost as high profile as Flint would have been. He had given her to the day to go over all the files, make her comparisons; telling her that he expected an answer first thing Tuesday morning on who she wanted to meet with.

So when lunch rolled around, she had already resigned herself that it wasn't happening today, making her equally frantic when someone knocked on her door and then let themselves in. She did a double take at the sight of Draco with a bag of takeout in his hands; an apologetic smile on his face.

She paused for a minute, debating what to do. Not wanting to brush off his apology to work, she cleared her desk and gestured for him to sit down. "Were you planning on working through lunch?" he asked, setting things down.

"I would have ordered something," she mumbled, not looking at him because they both knew it was a lie. She helped him distribute the food and then drank greedily at the soda he'd gotten for her. "What are you doing here?"

"Feeding you," he said with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "Draco-"

"I wanted to apologize."

"And you couldn't do that at home, because…"

"Because I wanted to do it now," he said with a shrug.

She couldn't help but smile as she ate. "Have you talked to Theo since you left this morning?"

He inclined his head. "It was brought to my attention that I needed to take it down a notch." He took a bite of his food and then smirked again. "And that you two have a date tonight."

A blush stole up to her face and burned her cheeks. "Is it weird?"

He took a deep breath and carded a hand through his hair. "You _need_ to stop asking us that."

She huffed. "It's a legitimate question. Trust me, I feel annoyed that I keep asking it too, but this isn't normal. This feels weird to me and I don't want to do anything that would upset either of you."

"What's weird about it to you? Both of us have already assured you it doesn't have to be the three of us all the time."

She tapped her fingers on the Styrofoam cup and wondered if she should just blurt out the list of questions or just focus on a few. She took a deep breath and went for it. "It's not really the date part I'm concerned with. What happens when we come home and I want to fuck Theo? Will you just continue sitting on the couch watching a movie? Will you go into the other room and ignore us? Will you want to watch? Will you want to join? What if we don't want you to join?"

Draco stared at her for far too long before he started laughing at her. "It's your first date with Theo and you're planning on letting the bloke get lucky?"

Her jaw dropped and she tossed one of her pens at him. "Draco!"

He continued to laugh and held up his hands in defense as she picked up another pen. "Alright, alright. Jesus, Hermione. That's a lot of questions," he said, reaching up to rub his jaw. "I will be home, but I already planned on giving you two some space, so don't worry about me tonight. Focus on Theo. This is your real first date." His smile turned into a smirk so fast it nearly stole her breath as he leaned forward across the desk. "But if you want me to watch or join, just say the word."

She rolled her eyes and tossed another pen at him, laughing as he deflected it, sending it to the floor with a swat of his hand. They continued to talk as they ate their lunch and when the time came, she decided she was glad for his intrusion after all. He helped her clean up and then lingered, letting her know he didn't want to leave either.

"So when are you taking me on a date?" she teased.

He grinned and drew her into his arms. "You just let me worry about that."

"Alright, keep your secrets."

His lips crashed over hers and she could feel the way he held back in his kiss. "See you at home."

"Thanks for lunch," she said as he pulled away and left her office with a slight nod of his head.

She returned to her desk after stepping out to use the loo and went back to making notes about her potential clients. However, she found it increasingly hard to concentrate on them anymore as she thought about her dynamic with Theo and Draco. The more she thought about them and everything they had already done, comparing it to do everything they might do in the future, she decided that it was time to stop overanalyzing everything and just go with the flow. There was a fine balance between voicing her needs and concerns and questioning every little thing. She just needed to find it.

Smiling to herself, she picked one of the profiles and set it off to the side so she could gather up the rest and set her pick on top. She had made her decision for Kingsley and could stop worrying about it for the rest of the day. If she could make that decision, she could stop questioning and worrying about every aspect of her relationship with Draco and Theo.

Besides, she had a date to daydream about.


	14. Pizza Date

**FOURTEEN**

**Pizza Date**

She heard the door open just as she was putting the final touches on her makeup for the evening. She leaned back from the sink and smiled at Draco as he stepped out of his shoes in the entry way. He returned her smile with a tilt of his head and she went back to hunching over the sink so she could get a closer look at what she was doing.

There was some rustling in the kitchen and soon Draco was leaning against the frame of the door, watching her get ready. "You look nice," he said, his eyes roving over her.

She rolled her eyes as she decided on a shade of lipstick to wear, debating if she should even go that far. "This isn't what I'm wearing."

She saw the way he bit his lip when his eyes landed on her ass, the bottom of it peaking out from underneath the hem of her shirt. "I should hope not."

She reached over and smacked him, earning a chuckle. "Thanks again for lunch."

"You're welcome. We could make that a regular thing."

She paused and turned to look at him. "I'd like that," she said, giving him a slight smile. "But it can't be every day. Maybe once a week?"

He nodded. "I can work with that. Occasionally I can just bring you food and you can be my lunch."

She wasn't sure she would ever get used to hearing things like that. It brought an immediate blush to her face, burning her entire body really, and had her thighs clamp together. The thought of him bending her over her desk or laying her on it with his head between her legs was almost too much. "No, you will behave if you plan on being in my place of work," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

He smirked again and quirked a brow. "We'll table that then," he said and she shook her head in defeat before turning back to the mirror.

As she finally settled on a color, she jumped at the feeling of his hand on her ass. He flattened his palm and pressed down, following the curve of her skin both up and down, grabbing it firmly when he reached the bottom. "Draco-"

"Are you harassing my date, Mate?" Theo called from the entry way.

He smirked at her in the mirror before withdrawing his hand and moving out of sight, his voice carrying through the apartment to make her shiver. "Just warming her up for you."

She rolled her eyes at her reflection and sighed before uncapping the tube and applying the color to her lips. After a few tweaks here and there, she slipped into her room to get dressed. She had asked Theo before coming home what kind of date he had in mind so she could dress appropriately and he told her to keep it casual. So she picked her favorite pair of jeans and a cream cardigan that she layered over a crimson blouse.

When she stepped out of her room, she was met with two pairs of approving eyes. She watched as hazel and grey eyes took their time sweeping over her from head to toe, slowly working their way up to her face and then smiling at her in turn. "Is this alright for what you planned?" she asked Theo.

He nodded and gave her another once over. "You look great, Hermione."

"Thank you," she said, taking a seat at the table across from Draco and stealing a sip from his cup, flinching at the taste of his soda of choice.

He snatched his cup back. "That's why you get your own drink and don't steal others," he teased, raising the cup to his lips and making a show of how good it tasted to him.

She rolled her eyes and smiled as Theo handed her his cup of water to get the taste out of her mouth. "I'm going to freshen up and then we'll go," he said, dropping a kiss to her forehead before heading into the bathroom.

"You know, it'll be nice to have the place to myself," Draco declared, looking around.

She gave him a wistful smile. "Sometimes I miss living alone, but I find myself missing it less and less these days. I'm glad I went with Theo as a roommate."

"Me too," he said, smirking at her as he took another drink. "I'm sure he feels the same as well."

She tipped her head to the side and scrunched her nose. "You know, I'm not really sure. Think he'll show me how glad he is tonight?"

He laughed and shook his head at her. "So you are planning on putting out on the first date. I knew it."

She returned his laugh and took another sip of her water, wondering if there would even be any lipstick left on her lips by the time they left the flat. "Not always," she responded. "Just usually the blokes that I was already sleeping with."

His grin was sly as he tipped his head to the side. "Do you make a habit of sleeping with men before you start dating them?"

Her lips parted to tell him no, but as she began to think about it, her lips pressed into a thin line and watched as the smile left his face. She cleared her throat and tapped her fingers on the cup still in her hands. She thought about the men she had dated throughout the years and of them all, not that there had been that many, she had in fact slept with each one of them before actually going on a few dates.

"Granger-"

She shook her head as he drew her from her thoughts and she smiled at him before taking another sip of water. "Is what it is," she replied and got to her feet as Theo joined them.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, please," she said smiled up at him.

"Have her home before midnight, young man," Draco teased.

Theo chuckled as Hermione laughed and bent to brush her lips against Draco's cheek. "Goodnight, Draco."

He reached up to wrap his fingers around her chin before she could move away. "Goodnight, Granger," he replied, searching her eyes to make sure she wasn't cross with him, smiling tightly when she nodded as best she could and smiled at him.

When he relinquished his hold, she turned and followed Theo to the door, slipped on her shoes, and then stepped into the hall so he could lock the door behind him.

* * *

Hermione had nearly doubled over in laughter when she crossed the threshold of the door he had opened and walked into the little classroom set up. He had arranged for the to take a cooking class together, saying that she might be teachable, be had no interest in even trying until she got some professional help.

The instructor had welcomed them in and checked their name off of their list before handing them aprons and pointing them in the direction of their station for the evening. As they read through their instructions and started gathering ingredients, they both knew they were making pizza from scratch.

Well, sort of scratch. The dough was premade, she just had to knead it. Which took all of her strength; something that Theo kept zapping from her with all of the things he did to ensure she never stopped laughing. By the time they had the pizza in the oven, both of them had stomach aches from the laughter and the hunger.

Between cleaning up and washing dishes, Hermione constantly turned the light to the oven on so she could peer inside. The last thing she wanted to do was burn the damn thing. It had gone so well and Theo had told her that this was dinner. If she failed, they would just have cereal when they returned home. She definitely needed the pizza to be a success.

And when it came out of the oven perfectly crispy and without a scorch mark in sight, she had thrown her arms about his neck and kissed him happily. They even earned a few cheers from the others that had signed up for the class. Grinning, they separated and she got plates so they could eat while Theo split the pizza into equal slices.

As far as first dates went, this was hands down the best one she had ever had. When they sat down to eat, she wondered if Draco could top it.

Since she had been living with Theo for nearly the past two years, she already knew him fairly well. The things they discussed were pretty normal for them, but despite having talked to him a million times, there was still a flurry of butterflies in her stomach as the night wore on. When they finished, they did one last round of clean up, boxed up the leftovers, and then made their way back to the car. When Theo offered to get dessert, Hermione had declined in favor of going home.

When they walked into the flat, she immediately looked towards the living room, but found it empty. If Draco was home, she presumed he was in the other bedroom behind the fully closed door. After slipping out of her shoes, she took the pizza box from Theo and made her way around the bar to store the leftovers on the bottom shelf of the fridge. When she straightened up, Theo was right behind her, pressing her up against the fridge.

"I'm still surprised you managed to cook something and not only did the building survive, but it was edible too."

She laughed up at him. "Yeah, well, the real test will be in a few more hours. If we make it through the night without dying, _then_ you can claim success."

He leaned in and brushed his lips softly against hers. "So you had a good time then?" he asked, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"The best date I've been on so far," she replied. "Which might not bode well for you because now you'll have to top it."

"Guess I have my work cut out for me, don't I?" he returned, his head tilting to the side a little.

Hermione bit at her bottom lip and moved so that she could take one of his hands in hers. Without another word, she pulled him towards her room, closing the door once they were inside. The moment she turned back to him, he drew her in and his mouth sought hers hungrily. They left a trail of clothing behind them as they moved towards the bed.

She surprised him by taking the lead and motioning for him to lie back first. When he did, she positioned herself between his legs and wrapped her hand around his shaft. He wet his lips as his eyes darkened, watching her with one hand behind his head, the other fisting at the sheets. She spread the bead of moisture that had gathered at the tip as far as it would go and then leaned forward to take him into her mouth.

He moaned as she enveloped him, drawing herself up and down around his length. She used her tongue whenever she pulled back towards the tip and when he thread his fingers through her hair, he tugged, drawing her forward. He kissed her soundly as she hovered above him and she squeaked into his mouth as he rolled her onto her back and kissed his way down her body.

He wasted no time in parting her folds and leaning in to taste her. She shuddered as he slipped his fingers into her core, adding to the pleasure his tongue against her clit was already bringing her. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out as he drove her to the edge without a moment's pause to let her catch her breath. Her body began to arch off the bedspread, but her moan turned to a crying whimper as he withdrew from her completely.

He smirked, reached for her hips, and turned her until she was on all fours before him. She stretched out of forearms and leaned down on them, her backside high up in the air for him. He positioned himself behind her and slammed into her without warning, making her cry out in a pleasurable surprise.

He snapped his hips behind her, filling her to the brim each time. He reached between their bodies with one hand and she cried out again when he found her clit. Her attempt at keeping her voice down went right out the window as she slammed her hips back against his, her voice echoing off the walls as she came.

He only picked up the pace behind her and strummed away frantically at her clit, bringing her to climax more than once before she felt his rhythm get out of sync. His hand left her clit in order to steady himself by grabbing her waist and as her body grasped for one last release, she felt him spasm inside of her, tipping her over the edge right along with him.

He collapsed against her back and they panted for air until he shrunk and slipped out of her. They both moved and found themselves wrapped up in each other on the mattress. He cupped her jaw and tilted her face up so he could kiss her, but kept it short as they both still hadn't quite caught their breath.

At one point, they had moved under the covers and struck up a conversation that didn't last long before they both fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

The following morning, Hermione had woken to a note on her pillow. She smiled as she read it and wondered if he hadn't woken her on purpose to say goodbye or if she had been too tired that she just hadn't stirred. Either way, she tucked the note into the drawer of her nightstand and went about her morning ritual to get ready for work.

With a quick glance into Theo's open door, she discovered that Draco must have left for work already that morning too. It was strange to have the flat to herself. It was so rare nowadays. It was when she was putting her shoes on at the door and her stomach growled that she realized the real tragedy of Theo being gone. With a sly smile, she pulled out her phone.

_I'm going to starve with you gone_.

Theo hadn't responded until she was on her lunch that day and had assured her that he would make up for it upon his return. He told her that he was settling in nicely and would call her later that night when he was free to talk. She was disappointed to see that she had missed his call because she stayed at the office long after she should have left. She hadn't even realized she lost track of time until the main lights went out and she looked up to discover the time.

She had called Draco on the way home to see if he had eaten yet and if not, ask what he wanted for dinner, but he didn't answer her. She got extra just in case and put in the fridge when she arrived home. He wasn't in the flat and when she called his name, there was no response. He was either asleep in the other bedroom or his work had kept him late as well. She shrugged it off, ate her food, and went to bed all within the same hour of arriving home.


	15. Phonography

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is a close second as to the best thing I've ever written.

**FIFTEEN**

**Phonography**

Wednesday was far more eventful than the previous day for Hermione. It had started about the same; waking up alone and getting ready without anyone else in the flat, but Theo had called her as she was walking to the car and they had talked until she parked at work and had to go in. After hanging up, she had received a message from Draco apologizing for his silence the day before, but that he would be at home after work and see her for dinner.

It was work where all the fun happened. As her stomach gurgled at the mere thought of food just before lunch, the sound of the fire alarms went off. She groaned and looked around, wondering if she had missed the memo for a drill. It wasn't something that they normally practiced and when she opened her door, she saw the same confusion on the face of everyone else as well.

"Attention!" her boss shouted from the door to the stairs down the hall. Hermione's head snapped towards him, a bad feeling in her gut. "There's no fire. No one's in any danger, but get your belongings and head this way."

Hermione returned to her desk, grabbed her stuff, and left her office. "What's happening?" she asked as she approached Kingsley.

"Gas leak." He shrugged. "The whole building is being evacuated."

She nodded and ducked down the stairs to wait with everyone else just outside the building. She sighed in relief as the alarms were no longer pounding against her eardrums. She talked to a few of her coworkers while they waited and soon a city official was telling them that they could leave now that everyone was accounted for. That they would be hard at work to fix the issue. Kingsley assured them they were getting paid for the rest of the day still and he would email them as soon as he knew whether they were working the next day or not as well.

Hermione tried not to look too happy at the thought of getting to go home early and still get paid, but when a few people let out a cheer, she couldn't help the smile that graced her lips. She lingered in her car for a bit, waiting for the majority of people to leave the parking lot first, and then drove home. She grabbed something light to eat on the way, even choosing to eat there instead of bringing it home.

Having skipped her shower that morning, she decided to take one when she got home. And with both men being gone, she wouldn't have to feel guilty when she used up all the hot water. She set her phone on the edge of the counter after queueing up her favorite playlist, turning it up to full volume, and stepped under the scalding spray. She sang along to the songs, not caring that she couldn't carry a tune to save her life. She carried on with her concert even after she stepped out of the shower and began to towel herself off.

She combed out her hair and then fluffed it to air dry, humming along to the parts of a song she wasn't too familiar with, and then hung up her towel before turning to leave. Her singing turned into a squawk of surprise when she opened the door to discover Draco on the other side. He was standing with his arms folded over his chest, amusement shining in his eyes, and lips curved into a smile. His eyes raked over her naked, mostly dry body as she raised one hand to her heart and the other to her mouth.

"You have a terrible voice, Granger."

"I could have had a heart attack."

"Not before you gave me an aneurism."

She scowled at him for a second and then went to reach for her towel again, stopping when he curled his fingers around her wrist and tugged her towards him. "Draco-"

He pinned her against him and the door as his lips descended over hers. The fabric of his dress shirt, tie, and slacks felt strange against her bare skin, and she hissed as the cold handle touched her hip. "Sorry I wasn't here yesterday," he said after breaking away.

"It's okay, I-"

She let out a little squeak as he hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist automatically. "I'm going to make it up to you right now."

"Draco-"

Her words turned into a moan as he nipped at her neck and drew her away from the door. She squeezed her thighs around him and wound her arms around his shoulders as he carried her to her room. He deposited her on the bed and then gripped her hips, turning her until she was on all fours with her knees at the edge of the bed. Another moan escaped her throat as she felt his fingers brush through her folds and the sound of her slick filled the room.

"Fuck, how are you always so wet?"

Her desire to make a retort that she had just gotten out of the shower died on her tongue as he shoved two fingers inside of her. She tossed her head back and let out a wild moan as he fucked her hard with his fingers. Her legs began to tremble, nearly giving out when she felt his teeth scrape against the globes of her ass. He was relentless in his movements, so much so that she didn't notice his mouth moving further in. It wasn't until she felt his tongue lick across her rear entrance that she thrust her hips back and attempted to protest, but ended up crying out as she came for him.

It was the fastest anyone had ever made her come and there was a part of her that was mortified that it happened because of where his tongue had been.

He slowed the movement of his hand, but continued what he was doing with his tongue. His teeth grazed her flesh off to the side as he withdrew his hand completely, letting his fingers brush through her folds, drenching them in her arousal. His breath warmed her skin as he chuckled. "Liked that, did you?"

She jerked her hips and moaned in response as he hit her clit.

A sharp sting of his hand on her flesh had her shooting up and looking over her shoulder. "Yes or no."

"I don't… Maybe?"

He chuckled again and smoothed his hand over where he had smacked her. "No maybe's, Granger. Remember how I told you we want to fill you at the same time?" She shivered at the idea and moaned as she nodded. He smirked. "Then we need to start working on this. May I?"

None of her partners had expressed any interest in taking that part of her body before. The idea of Draco not only wanting to, but filling it the same time Theo filled her core or vice versa made her nod in consent. "Okay."

He lightly smacked her ass again, causing her to yelp and he pushed away from her. "Don't move." She watched him move up to her nightstand and reach for the bottom drawer. He then produced a tube of lubricant she didn't even know was stashed there and then disappear behind her once more. She waited with bated breath as he applied some to his fingers and then smeared it over her opening. "Just tell me to stop and I will," he promised, kissing her skin again before gently sinking one finger inside of her.

She leaned forward squeezed her eyes shut. It only hurt for a moment before the pain gave way to pleasure. He stilled his finger inside of her until moved her hips, signaling he could do more. He added a second finger and waited for her signal again. Once given, he took his time in moving back and forth, stretching and filling her until it was nothing but pleasure shooting up her spine.

"Draco…"

"What do you want, Granger?"

"Fuck me," she ground out, throwing her head back with a moan. "Please."

She whined as he withdrew from her body. He wiped himself off on her thigh and then gently guided her until she was laying on her back. He waved at her to scoot up until she was laying on her pillows and then he crawled up after her, still fully clothed. She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him down to claim his lips as her thighs cradled his body to hers. She could feel his erection through his trousers and canted her hips to convey her need to be filled.

He moved his lips to her ear and nipped at her lobe. "As fan-fucking-tastic as it is to hear you beg for my cock, I'm not done with you yet."

"Play with me later," she whined, locking her legs around his waist and gripping at his shirt to try and keep him in place. "Please? We have all night."

He smirked down at her and she realized her words had backfired on her. "We _do_ have all night, don't we? And to ourselves no less. I think we ought to pace ourselves then. No need to rush."

She scowled as he leaned in to kiss her and she felt his smirk widen against her lips before he reached down to shove her legs from him so he could move. Giving in to the notion that he was going to make her wait for it, she closed her eyes and concentrated on the way his lips felt as he kissed every inch of her skin on the way down to the apex between her thighs.

Right as his fingers spread her lips, her phone rang. She turned her head towards her nightstand, but didn't feel the need to reach for it. Draco, it seemed, had other ideas. "Who is it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Answer it," he demanded, his other hand smoothing over her hip.

She huffed and maneuvered herself so she could grab the phone. She smiled at the name displayed across the screen and then answered it. "Hey Theo."

"I wasn't expecting you to answer. Slow day at work?" he asked.

"Uh," she started, her mind clouding as Draco kissed around her core at a leisurely pace. "Gas leak. Everyone sent home early."

"Well, lucky for me then," he said. "Sorry I didn't answer you back yesterday. Took a minute to get settled in."

"That's o-okay," she said, biting her lip to stifle a moan as Draco's tongue swept through her folds and flicked at her clit.

"Hermione?"

Draco smiled against her right before he brought her clit between his lips and sucked hard. Nothing she did could have quieted the noises that she emitted then. Theo's chuckle was soft in her ear.

"Draco home?" he asked.

She nodded before she realized he couldn't see. "Y-yes," she breathed at the same time Draco's finger slid inside her core.

"Are you with him now?"

Her hips came off the bed as Draco added a second finger and crooked them inside of her. " _Ah, yes_!" she hissed as he found that spot just behind her pubic bone.

"Describe what he's doing, Hermione."

She moaned. "He's… Oh god, he…"

"Focus," he demanded. "Tell me everything."

Draco lifted his head slightly to smirk up at her and stilled the movements of his fingers. "What's he asking?"

He didn't even bother to lower his voice which made her whine low in her throat. It didn't matter that she was sleeping with both of them; that they were in a three-way relationship, it felt wholly inappropriate to be eaten out while on the phone.

"Tell him what I asked for," Theo drawled.

She took a deep breath and wet her lips as she met Draco's amused gaze down the length of her body. "He's asking me to describe what you're doing," she said, her breath uneven.

Draco's smirk widened and he inclined his head before turning his face towards her inner thigh. "Better speak up then," he said, lowering his lips to her flesh and sucking hard enough to make her cry out again. He pulled away with a pop and she heard them both chuckle. "I'll even go slow. Gives you plenty of time to articulate."

True to his word, Draco withdrew his fingers and then ever so slowly sank them back into her core. When her hips canted p for more, he settled his other arm over her hips to pin her in place. He stared up at her with a brow quirked in waiting and inclined his head. Hermione moaned and wet her lips. "He's got…his fingers-"

"How many?"

"T-two."

Theo groaned in her ear and Hermione shivered from head to toe. "Have you already come for him?"

She nodded, forgetting he couldn't see. "Once," she hissed as Draco crooked his fingers and pressed on that spot again. She fought against his hold as he picked up the pace a little. "Please," she whined. " _Faster_."

"Not yet."

Her free hand came up to play with her breasts, kneading and plucking out of frustration. "Talk to me, Hermione."

She heard something on Theo's end that caused her to smirk. "A-are you…Theo?"

"Am I what?" he asked after a moment.

"Touching yourself?"

Another groan. "Does that turn you on? Knowing that I'm stroking my cock while Draco has his fingers in your pussy?"

It did. It _really_ fucking did. "Yes, oh…" Draco spread her nether lips and pressed his face to her core, his tongue tracing patterns around her clit; never touching it. Torturing her with every pass. "His tongue…"

"Is where?"

She half grunted, half groaned. "I can tell you where it… Where it… _isn't_. _OH!_ "

Right as she said it, Draco sucked her clit delicately between his lips and assaulted it with his tongue.

"I wish I was there," Theo's voice was husky and low, akin to a growl. "I would stuff my cock in your mouth just to feel you moan around it."

Theo was never _that_ dominant and it was pushing her closer to her release. When combined with Draco picking up the pace and getting closer to her clit, she knew she wouldn't last long; her mind beginning to fog. " _Draco…_ "

"Let me hear you beg for his cock," Theo murmured, grunting and groaning in her ear.

Draco must have heard Theo through the phone because he hummed in approval, sending vibrations through her core. He dragged his tongue from her opening to her clit slowly before pulling back to undress. "Go on," he urged, taking his time with the fly of his trousers. "Beg."

She gave a frustrated whine and stared up at him with fire in her eyes. "Please let me come." He freed himself by pushing his bottoms off his hips. "I need you. I want you inside of me." She wet her lips as she tracked the movement of his hands from stroking himself a few times to undo the buttons on his shirt, one by one.

"Fuck, I'm almost there," Theo hissed.

Finished with his shirt, Draco shifted closer and then lifted her legs up. The backs of her thighs rested on his chest and her feet framed his face. He reached down to take hold of his length and brushed it through her folds.

"Oh god, Draco, _please_. Fuck me. I want your-"

Her words dissolved into moans as he filled her abruptly, pressing forward until he bottomed out. He slung one hand around her calves while the other hand held her hip and he rocked his hips back and forth. With her legs pinned together, the friction hit her clit just right and continued to steadily build up her release.

"I'm gonna come," she whispered, her free hand stretching out to touch whatever part of him she could reach. She settled on his hand at her hip, gripping it as tight as she could. He leaned forward just enough so he could get even deeper. He kept the pace slow and steady, choosing to focus on hitting hard and deep. With each stroke, she felt the coil in her gut being wound tighter and tighter, just waiting for the right to snap.

When it did, she squeezed her thighs together, threw her head back, and screamed both of their names into the confines of the room. Draco continued to fuck her through her orgasm, not changing anything in the slightest. When she could open her eyes, the intensity of Draco's gaze and Theo's groans as he reached his own release, pushed her over the edge for a third time.

The phone slid from her hand and away from her ear as Draco gently pried her legs apart and loomed over her. She drew her knees up to cradle him as she had before. His forearms landed on either side of her head, caging her in as he continued to thrust in deep, powerful strokes. He picked up the pace as he went, his gaze boring into hers. Her hands went to his chest where they pushed back the flaps of his open shirt until she was able to rake her nails down his back.

"Fuck, you're perfect," he panted, leaning in further to pillow their lips together. She broke the kiss to whine and thrust her hips up in rhythm with his. His forehead rested against hers as he shifted his weight to one arm so he could cup her face with the other. His thumb pressed against her bottom lip and her tongue darted out to swirl around it.

"Draco, I… I don't… I can't-"

Her mind was addled from coming so intensely, there was no way she could do it again. Not without a break. He nodded in understanding as his hips began to jerk, signaling he wasn't going to last much longer anyway. She keened and writhed beneath him, still taking pleasure in the way he felt as he slid against her inner walls over and over again.

He dropped down on both arms again, pressing his cheek against hers. She could feel his breath warming her ear as he groaned her name when he came. He sagged down on top of her, his weight pleasant in the aftermath. He nipped at her earlobe as he panted to catch his breath and he kept himself buried inside of her.

He pulled his head back to look at her and she moved her hands to cup his face. She smiled up at him and shifted her hips, finding him still hard and lodged inside of her. He looked down at her, eyes narrowed and brows quirked in silent askance. She responded by keeping hold of his face and lifting her hips over and over again, her inner walls clutching and drawing him in deeper.

His forehead dropped to hers and they came together, stealing each other's air. He groaned and took over the shallowing thrusting as he emptied himself a second time so that she could lose herself in her forth release. It was nowhere near as intense or powerful as her previous ones, but she could feel it in every part of her body, turning to her absolute mush.

When she was able to think straight, she found that Draco had already withdrew from her, the evidence of their arousal coating their bodies at it ran off their skin and out of her core. He leaned on one arm as he reached up to brush the hair out of her face with the other. In doing so, he dug her phone out from behind her shoulder and she felt a knot of guilt in her stomach. She had forgotten about Theo.

"Either he hung up or you did," he said, tucking the device behind her pillow.

"I'll call him back later," she muttered, threading her fingers through his hair.

He dipped his head to kiss her, taking his time to taste and explore every crevice of her mouth. She mimicked his every move, her fingers flexing to tug at his hair every so often. When he pulled away again, it was only to slide off of her and settle on his side. She barely had time to turn to face him before he sank his hand back into her hair and pulled her in for another searing kiss. It wasn't until her lungs burned with the need for a real breath that she turned to lie on her back.

He dropped his head to her shoulder, kissing and nipping gently at her skin. "That's a different way to have phone sex."

A laugh escaped her lips, one that quickly turned into a yawn. "That was the first time I've done anything remotely like that."

"Phone sex or four orgasms?" he teased, adjusting them both so he was spooning her.

"Both," she replied, turning her head towards him as far as she could. "Aside from the morning after the wedding, I've only ever had two at most." She regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. She didn't need to see his face to know that he was smirking, or that his eyes had lit up as he took that as a challenge. "That does _not_ mean-"

"Oh, it does," he replied, chuckling as he kissed her cheek. "I, for one, would love to find out just how many times I can make you come for me in a single night."

"Draco-"

He tightened his arms around her as he shook with laughter. "Get some rest, Hermione. We'll clean up later and I'll get us some dinner."

She sighed heavily and relaxed against him, her eyes already heavy after the exertion from the tryst. As she drifted off to sleep, her thoughts wandered to Theo, hoping that he wasn't feel left out when she lost the phone or that he didn't take it the wrong way if she had been the one to hang up on him. Trusting that it wouldn't be a big deal, she gave in and fell asleep.


	16. Party of Four

**SIXTEEN**

**Party of Four**

The following morning, Hermione found herself at a five-star hotel lobby bar with a full English breakfast a never-ending supply of mimosas. It has been exactly as Draco promised when he lured her out of a dead sleep and asked her to join him to the sole meeting he had for the day. The rest of the promise was something he would fulfill later when they spent the rest of the day together.

She had never been so happy to be inconvenienced by a gas leak in her life.

The night before, as Draco went about securing them dinner after they woke up, she had checked her email to discover one from her boss. It said that the city was still searching for the leak, so everyone was still being asked to stay home, but would continue to get paid. It was one of the best mornings she had had in quite some time. Especially when Draco had pulled her into his shower. No one who had an orgasm first thing in the morning could have a bad day.

As she dug into her plate, she pulled out her phone and sent a good morning text to Theo. No sooner did she close out of the app did her screen light up with an incoming call from him. She grinned and answered right away.

"Good morning to you too," he said.

"Sorry if it was me who hung up on you last night," she said, a blush creeping up her face.

There was a moment of silence so brief she thought she imagined it before he spoke again. "It's alright. You were busy."

She cleared her throat and took a sip of her mimosa. "Regardless," she said and smiled to herself. "I'm still sorry."

"Don't sweat it, Hermione," he assured her. There was some rustling on his end so she waited for him to finish whatever it was. She nearly choked on her drink when he spoke next. "How many times did Draco make you come?"

"Four," she whispered, hiding her face behind her other hand as she did.

She heard him hiss as he sucked in a breath and she squirmed in her seat. "In one session?"

"Yup."

"You'll have to show me when I come home."

A groan tumbled past her lips. "Theo…"

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I'm at the bar."

There was a small pause. "Why?"

"There's still that gas leak at the office so Draco invited me to his meeting this morning with the promise of free food and unlimited mimosas." She finished off her current glass and signaled for another. "How could I say no?"

Theo's laugh made her smile wide and sigh as her heart ached. "How are they?"

"The mimosas are the real winner, but the food's alright. Nothing beats your cooking." Her smile widened. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Hermione. I'll be home tomorrow. If you end up working, I'll have dinner ready for you when you get home. If you stay home, my flight lands at eleven." She heard other voices on his end, one of them calling his name. "I have to go, but I'll call later if I can. Tell Draco hello for me."

"I'm sure he says hello right back," she said. "Bye, Theo."

"Bye, Hermione," he said and the call disconnected.

She hadn't even set the phone down before she felt it vibrate in her hand again. She answered it once she saw Ginny's name flash across the screen. "Hey, what's up?"

"My mother is driving me insane."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Molly Weasley was the sweetest woman on the face of the earth, but when she was set on something, she pushed everyone towards it until she got her way. Which, when she thought about it, was exactly what Ginny would do, though Hermione would never say that to her friend's face.

"What is it this time?"

"She's demanding a seating chart. I keep telling her I don't give a flying fuck where people sit, so long as they understand the sweetheart table is for Harry and I. If one person has a problem with another, don't sit by each other!" There was a moment where Ginny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Anyway, can you come over tonight?"

Hermione hesitated, knowing that Draco had mentioned wanting to do something with her that evening. "Will Harry be home?"

Ginny muttered something under her breath and Hermione bit down on a laugh as she caught something akin to _unhelpful_ , _spineless_ , and _asshole_. "Yes, why?"

"Mind if I bring Draco with me? We'll even pick up dinner on the way."

That did the trick. "Just Draco?"

"Theo's out of town until tomorrow. We can even bring wine from-"

"Seven work for you two?"

Hermione did laugh at that. Ever since she had shared that Draco worked in the wine industry and was constantly bringing home bottles for them, Ginny had been hounding her for some. "We'll be there. If you need anything else-"

"Chocolate, please," she interrupted. "Any kind. _Several_ kinds, actually. Buy the whole aisle."

"Maybe some tampons?" Hermione suggested with a snicker. "Or maybe a pregnancy test."

"I'm hanging up now."

"See you tonight," Hermione said, setting her phone down when the call disconnected. She waited a full minute before she decided that even if someone else did call, she wasn't going to answer. Her food was already getting cold and if she didn't eat soon, she was going to feel those three mimosas sooner than she wanted.

By the time Draco returned, she was halfway through her fourth one and just pushing her plate away from her. He dropped a kiss to her cheek and slipped onto the chair beside her. "Did the bribe meet your expectations?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you," she said, reaching for his hand and lacing their fingers together beneath the bar. "Theo called. He says hello."

He inclined his head. "Did he say what happened last night?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but realized Theo hadn't clarified what had happened. She closed her lips and shrugged. "Not sure still, but he's not mad about it."

He chuckled and let go of her hand in favor of check his emails. "Anything else happen?"

"Ginny called. We're having dinner over there tonight. I hope that doesn't impede on any plans you might have made."

He quirked a brow at her. "Fishing to see if I planned our date yet, Granger?"

"Maybe," she teased as she took another drink. "But did you?" she asked, feeling guilty for not having asked first. "If you did, I can-"

"If I did, it can be delayed another day. I like Ginny."

"Harry will be there too."

"As long as her brother isn't there. Potter's fine without Weasel making him dumber."

" _Ron_ and I dated a long time ago, you know."

Draco's brows nearly rose off of his face in shock before he dissolved into a round of hysterics. "You and that brainless git? Why?"

She rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully. "He was sweet and had it worked out, I would have been Ginny's sister-in-law." She shrugged and finished her drink. "But it didn't, so I'll just have to be her best friend instead."

"How devastating," he drawled, but smiled at her regardless.

"I told her," she said after a moment of silence. "About the three of us."

His brow quirked up again. "And?"

"She's on board with whatever makes me happy."

"And do we?"

"Make me happy?" she questioned. A grin took hold of her lips as she reached for his tie and pulled him closer so she could kiss him. "Absolutely."

"Good," he said, pulling her to her feet and twining their fingers together. "Ready to go?"

"What's on the agenda?"

"I was thinking we could see a movie and then get a light lunch."

"Really? That's awfully…typical."

"Did you really think I was going to set the bar high with our first date?" he asked as he led her outside, summoning his driver with a single text. "No, I'm going to build up the wow factor. Each date I take you on, you'll see the quality increase."

She nodded and stepped closer to him, stepping up on her tiptoes until her lips were near his ear. "I've always wanted to have sex at the cinema."

He pulled her close until there was no distance between them and moved his hips so she could feel his growing erection. "Fuck, Granger. Keep that up and I won't make it to the theatre."

"What's the matter, Draco?" she teased, pulling away as the car pulled up. "Don't think you'll have the stamina for both?"

As the afternoon wore on, he spent it showing her that he did indeed have the stamina for both.

* * *

By the time they made it Ginny and Harry's place, Hermione was ready to crawl into bed and sleep for a week. Between the sex in the shower, the mimosas at breakfast, car sex, and an extreme workout in the cinema to make that sex work, she was _exhausted_. She barely had the energy to stop by the store and get enough chocolate to supply a school, stop by one of Draco's suppliers to get several bottles of wine, and pick up dinner on the way. It would be a miracle if she made it through dinner before she passed out on Ginny's couch.

Harry and Draco went about setting the table for the four of them and setting out the food while she and Ginny put away the sweets and poured the wine. When they sat down to eat, Hermione couldn't help but feel a little saddened by the fact that Theo wasn't there with them to enjoy this moment.

The conversation was easy, as if the four of them had always been friends. She was amazed at how well Ginny and Draco got along, the both of them doing most of the talking. The only things Harry and Draco seemed to share a common interest of was sports. And when that subject came up, Hermione was the only one that was silent, choosing to tune them all out and sip at her wine.

After dinner, Harry and Draco moved to the living room to continue their debate over rival teams while Hermione and Ginny elected to stay behind to clean up. "We'll have to do this again," Ginny said as they threw away the last of the containers. "When Theo's home."

Hermione smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "That would be great."

"How's that working out?"

"Since the last time I talked to you about it a few days ago?" she asked.

Ginny rolled her eyes and offered Hermione what was left of the opened bottle of wine. She shook her head and her friend poured the rest into her glass to finish off. "How is it with Theo being gone?"

"Strange. I know we've all talked to death about the fact that they're alright with me being _with_ them separately, but it still feels…" She shook her head to come up with another word, but failed. "Strange."

"It's still new. Give it some time."

Hermione nodded again and set the few dishes they had used in the sink before filling up the other side to start washing. "Do you want to talk about wedding stuff?"

Ginny snorted and shook her head. "No I really don't. But, it is getting down to the wire. I know it all needs to get done, that we've planned out everything in advance that we could, but Jesus Christ, Hermione." She hopped up onto the counter off to the side and sipped at her glass. "Do you think it'll be more complicated if you marry both of them?"

The wine glass in her hand slipped and shattered in the sink. She went still as she stared at the little shards while Ginny remained seated and laughed so hard she nearly spit wine out of her nose.

"What happened?" Draco and Harry asked at the same time as they entered the kitchen. Draco came to the sink and pulled Hermione away from it, inspecting her hand for any injuries. When he didn't find any, he pushed her aside and went about getting glass out of the sink.

"I made a comment," Ginny said with a hiccup.

"One that was made far too soon," Hermione added.

Harry took the glass from Ginny's hand and set it down on the counter behind her. "Come on, Gin, let's get you to bed."

"Thanks for coming over, Mione. Nice to see you again, Draco," she said, hugging each of them in turn.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Hermione replied.

"Just leave the-" Harry started.

Hermione shook her head. "Take care of her, we'll see to this. We'll let ourselves out."

"Thanks," he said, and disappeared out of the room with Ginny in tow, her laughter reaching their ears from down the stairs after she left.

"Go sit," Draco demanded when she tried to help.

"I'm not-"

"There's barely anything left to wash," he interrupted, finality in his tone.

She huffed and hopped up onto the counter in the spot Ginny had just been. "Thank you."

He nodded and continued to stare down at what he was doing. Even as he asked, "What was it that Ginny said to you?"

Hermione played with the fabric of her blouse as she stared down at her hands. "Nothing major, just-"

"You do realize I can tell that you're lying, right?" he asked, turning to narrow his eyes at her. She didn't look up, but she saw him from the corners of her eyes. "Just spit it out, Granger."

She took a deep breath, letting it out with a sigh. "We were talking about her wedding plans and she simply asked if she thought it would be harder to plan ours."

She noticed the way he stiffened; the way his shirt stretched as the muscles in his back tensed. He didn't say anything as he went back to rinsing off the last few dishes and pulling the plug on the sink to let it drain. Tense silence wrapped around them as he dried his hands and slowly turned to rest his back on the sink, ankles crossed and hands up on the counter.

"It's only been a few weeks," she said after clearing her throat. "Far too early to even _think_ about going down that road. She was just trying to deflect from having to think about her wedding. I think I might offer to-"

As she started babbling, he had crossed the distance between them, nudging himself between her legs and pulling her face down to shut her up with a kiss. Her hands fell to his shoulders as his held her face firmly. His tongue danced with hers as he did a fantastic job of quieting her thoughts.

They pulled away at the same time, their foreheads resting against one another's as they panted for air. He dropped his hands to her thighs and squeezed reassuringly. "It will be easier."

"Easier?" she questioned, pulling back to look at him.

He inclined his head. "Pansy will probably take over the planning and you won't have to lift a finger."

She worried at her bottom lip as her head started to shake. "Draco, it's-"

"A long way off, I know, but _if_ that's what's in the cards for us, then-"

"How would that even be possible?" she blurted, cursing herself for getting into this now, in Ginny's kitchen. "I'm fairly certain the law only recognizes marriages between two people, not three."

"For now."

Hermione's lips parted for a moment as she realized the tone of his words carried a promise, but she clamped her mouth shut again, not wanting to truly delve into this topic. Not yet. "Can we go home now?" she asked, letting the yawn she'd been stifling come to fruition. "I'm exhausted."

It was a weak way to change the subject, but Draco allowed it anyway. He kissed her temple and then called for the car to come pick them up. After making sure Ginny's place was in order, they stepped outside and into the car when it arrived. Just as she thought, the moment she laid her head on Draco's shoulder in the back seat, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	17. Welcome Home

**SEVENTEEN**

**Welcome Home**

It was extremely unfortunate that there was an email in her inbox that morning letting her know the gas leak was fixed and work would resume as normal. Had it not been for the fact that she was saving her time off for Ginny's wedding in a few weeks, she would have used one of her days to give herself a five-day weekend. The brief idea she had of surprising Theo by being there to pick him up from the airport was a no-go.

The bright spot of her day was the picture message she had received from Draco of him and Theo at the airport. When she had voiced her remorse at not being able to do what she wanted, he assured her that he would go in her stead. The picture, along with the assurance that the flight went well and they would be home when she arrived after work was enough to make the day feel a little better.

As the day came to a close, she went about her normal Friday routine of checking to make sure her requests off for the wedding and the prep before it was still approved, that her meetings for the next week were set, and all loose ends from the current week were tied up. When everything was as it should be, she made her way to her car and tried not to cater to the eager side of her that just wanted to rush home.

No sooner did she pull into her parking spot in her complex did she hear her phone go off with a text. She fished for it and opened the message from Ginny.

_SOS. You have to come with me tomorrow._

Hermione rolled her eyes, but replied back without a lick of sarcasm. _What time?_

_She wants me over at nine, so I'll pick you up at eight._

Hermione sighed at how early Ginny wanted her to wake up on a Saturday. And if she knew the two men upstairs waiting for her to come home, she knew they weren't planning on letting her go to sleep at a decent time tonight. Not when one of them had been gone all week.

_I'll be ready._

_Thank you_.

Hermione waited to see if there would be anything else, but when there wasn't, she slipped her phone back into her purse and got out of the car. The elevator ride was slower than she had ever experienced before, but nothing was more agonizing than berating herself for not having her keys out to unlock the door. Again. The moment she did let herself in, she hung her purse and shucked her shoes, salivating at the scent of whatever it was Theo was whipping up for dinner.

She gave Draco a small wave of her hand from where he sat on the couch as she rounded the counter and turned into the kitchen. He smirked at her as she went and turned his attention back towards the television as she made her move to greet Theo. He let go of the utensil in his hand and grabbed her arms wound around his shoulders, fingers sinking back into his hair to bring his head down to her level. He grunted as his back hit the counter and she used the parting of his lips to slide her tongue into his mouth to taste him.

She melted against him and sighed into his mouth as the world began to feel right once more. It had been nice to have a few days alone with Draco so she could get to know him better, but it was infinitely better to have the three of them all in one space instead of apart.

"Maybe I should go away more often," Theo chuckled.

She smacked his shoulder playfully as she detached herself from him so he could go back to what he was cooking before it burned. "Please don't. I missed you."

"Did you? I couldn't really tell," he teased.

She rolled her eyes and made her way to the bedroom to change out of her work clothes. She hadn't bothered to close the door as she stripped and pulled on her lounging clothes. Even if Draco could see her from the living room or Theo from the kitchen, it was nothing they hadn't seen up close and personal before. When she was finished, she went to the living room, stopping behind the couch. She tugged Draco's head back gently and leaned over him to greet him properly as well.

"Here I thought you were going to fuck him in the kitchen when you came in," he said, smirking against her lips.

She shook her head and straightened up. "And let the food burn?"

"So you'd choose food over sex?" he questioned, frowning as he turned to look at her without having to do so upside down.

"I can't live off of sex," she said with another roll of her eyes.

She jumped as Theo wrapped his arms around her from behind and lowered his lips to her ear. "What if we were to combine the two?" he asked, dragging her lobe between his teeth.

She shuddered in his arms. "That doesn't really sound sanitary. All that sugar in… _sensitive_ places is just asking for trouble."

They both laughed, Theo's sending vibrations up and down her spine. He let go of her ear and gave her a squeeze around the middle before letting her go. "Don't knock it until you try it," Draco cautioned, a smirk on his face.

"Okay," she said, wrapping her arms about herself as she swallowed hard.

Draco was on his feet to pull her in and add even more arousal to her core than Theo had started. "I promise you won't be disappointed," he said before devouring her mouth as if he were dying of thirst. He only pulled away when Theo announced that dinner was ready and led her to the table. She watched as the two of them went about serving her and then joined her at the table so they could eat.

Theo had told them all about Glasgow while they are. That his cousins had opened a small office there when they moved, but had no clue how to run it. That he and his uncle had gone there to set everything straight and employ people who would keep it afloat. His uncle had stayed, not sure when he could come back, but sent Theo home to take over the main office in London for a bit.

It was after dinner that Draco got a phone call from his mother. He took it after some encouragement from Theo, but went into the second bedroom to talk. While he was gone, Hermione helped Theo with cleaning up and dishes for the night.

She hadn't realized she had been lost in a daze until Theo nudged her hip with his and quirked a brow at her. She smiled apologetically and gave a light sigh. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"The morning after the wedding," she started, clearing her throat. She knew Draco's opinion, but she wanted Theo's too. "If Draco had fucked me first, would you-" She swallowed hard. "It didn't-"

He unplugged the sink and rinsed it out as he spoke. "Draco told me you talked to him about it and no. It doesn't bother me either." He turned so he could tuck her hair behind her ear and stroke her jaw with his finger. "Draco could have come inside of you a dozen times and I still would have fucked you." He smiled when she shivered and blushed. "And I'm sure it's vice versa."

She gave a jerky nod of her head and set the last of the dried dishes with the others on the rack before she turned towards him. "May I ask how the two of you are so comfortable with that?" she asked, a smirk forming on her lips. "Since you've both made it very clear the two of you have never…" She shrugged and wet her lips. "Have you shared a woman before?"

She already knew from Pansy that Theo and Draco had never dated a woman at the same time, but that didn't mean they had done this before. And at the beginning of all of this, Draco had mentioned that he had seen Theo go down on a woman before. It would have made perfect sense why the two of them didn't care about the situation. Unless they had done something together at one point and just refused to fess up about it.

Theo smirked at her and reached down for her hand. He didn't say anything right away, choosing to lead her to her room and sit next to her on the edge of the bed. With their fingers still laced together between them, he answered her. "Well, you know that we shared a dorm at boarding school and again in college."

"Draco may have mentioned that I was not the first woman he's seen you go down on," she replied, her cheeks warming slightly. "I just wanted to know what else the two of you witnessed the other do."

Theo's smile was downright sinful; his hazel eyes sparkling with a mischief that rivaled Draco's. "I don't think there's a single thing we haven't seen the other do." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "We tried to give each other privacy, but there were times where we really didn't care."

Hermione rolled her eyes. If pubescent Draco and Theo were anything like they were now, she could only imagine the parade of women in their dorm rooms. Not that she was really one to talk. She'd had her fair share of men since losing her virginity at sixteen. "Exhibition and voyeurism," she said with a smirk. "Got it."

He laughed and shook his head at her. "I can't speak for Draco, but there may have been a time or two when I relieved myself when he had a guest over in the middle of the night. It's not like he was trying to be quiet or anything."

"Draco? Quiet?"

Another laugh escaped Theo. "There were a few times that we both had guests and tried to outdo one another as well, but no. We have never shared a woman at the same time. Not in bed and certainly not in a relationship."

He let go of her hands in favor of running the tips of his fingers up and down her forearms. The action caused her skin to prickle with gooseflesh and her knickers to dampen slightly. "So not caring about one another's bodily fluids comes from… Where, exactly?" she asked. "Because I _really_ don't buy the fact that the two of you have never… You're too close to one another."

"We haven't," he replied, his hands having moved to her shirt to remove it.

"Why not?" she asked. "Have you ever thought about it? Is it something you would consider?

He went still for a moment before his gaze slowly dragged up to meet hers. "Does the thought of us together do something for you?" he asked; lips slowly curving up into a grin.

She gave a small shrug, surprised at how drenched her knickers were at the moment. She hadn't really given it much thought until she'd asked it. Now that she had, she was picturing it and, if she was honest, it wasn't bad. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more it was turning her on. "Maybe," she replied, a coy smile on her lips.

He pulled her shirt over her head and leaned in to pepper whatever bit he could reach of her with feather-light kisses. "I'll talk to Draco," he murmured against her skin. She nodded and let her head fall back as his hands made quick work of her bra.

"Shouldn't we…" she started, pausing to let out a moan as his mouth closed around a nipple. "Shouldn't we wait for him?"

Theo chuckled a moment before nipping at the taut peak with his teeth. "He knows where we are. He can join when he's done."

Hermione nodded and then pushed him back. After a making quick of their clothes, she found herself on her back with Theo's head between her thighs. Her head ground back against the pillows as her own hands kneaded her breasts, pulling and tugging at her nipples. Theo spread her open with two fingers before dipping his tongue into her core. He moaned at the taste of her and then proceeded to fuck her with the muscle. She keened for him as she moved her hips, greedily begging for more.

A frustrated groan left her lips when Theo proceeded to tease her in the way Draco had while on the phone with him the other day. His tongue would lap at her opening, coating his tongue with her slick, and then spread it upwards to circle her clit. And _just_ like Draco, he refused to touch the part of her that craved him most. He even had the audacity to laugh as she tried to angle herself to make him touch her clit. She even sank one hand into his hair to try and force him, but he resisted and kept her wanting.

" _Theo_ -"

"Patience, Hermione," he murmured as he slipped one finger into her body.

She replied with a groan, her fingers twitching in his hair. She tried to just relax and go with it, but the more he teased her, the harder it was to not chase after what he was clearly denying her. He appeased the ache by adding a second finger and increasing the pace of which they slid in and out of her body, but it wasn't enough.

"More," she pleaded; voice raspy with need.

He paused for a moment, drawing his fingers back until they were nearly all the way out of her. She emitted a low whine when she felt a third digit nudge at her entrance and rolled her hips to encourage the addition. The moment all three fingers filled her as far as they could, his lips _finally_ closed over her clit. She cried out and before she knew it, she was overcome with the sensations and screaming his name as she tipped over into oblivion.

It took far longer than usual for her to catch her bearings and settle back down. When she was able to open her eyes, her entire body was trembling and Theo was staring at her with pure satisfaction and a dash of amusement. Her core was clenching something fierce and she could feel her clit pulsing with aftershocks. It only took a moment longer to realize that Theo's chin wasn't just glistening with her release like it normally was; he was _soaked_. And it wasn't just his face, she realized. The bedding beneath her was wet. As if she had spilled a glass of water.

"Did I-"

"Fuck yes you did," he interrupted, licking his lips. He wasted no time in crawling over her to capture her lips. "And fuck it if that wasn't the hottest thing I've ever witnessed."

She moaned at the taste of herself on his lips. For a moment, she wondered if it would taste different than it usually would, but quickly found that it didn't. Her entire body was trembling far more than ever before, her thighs quaking something fierce as they cradled Theo's body to hers. She moaned and broke the kiss with a shake of her head when he started to position himself at her entrance.

"Oh God, I can't," she panted. "I need a minute."

He chuckled and gave a nod, his cheek rubbing against hers. "Take all the time you need."

She nodded and then surprised him by pushing up until they rolled and it was him on his back. She slowly began to kiss her way down his chest, the path a direct indication of where she was headed. "I won't leave you hanging though," she murmured against his skin, continuing to work her way down.

"By all means," he said, a slight catch to his voice as her tongue circled his navel. She felt his fingers thread through her hair as she dipped lower. He hissed as her hand wrapped around his shaft, pulling his skin taut to increase the sensation when her tongue circled the weeping head of his cock.

She held his gaze and gave him a light smirk as she drew him all the way into her mouth. He twitched against her tongue and she heard him hiss when she wiggled the muscle, further driving him crazy. His fingers flexed in her hair and he gave the slightest of tugs, earning a moan from her. She closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply through her nose.

When she opened her eyes again, Theo was staring past her with a grin on his face. She pulled her mouth off of his cock, using her hand to keep him worked up so she could toss a look over her shoulder. She smiled at the sight of Draco, mostly undressed, his eyes glued to one spot of the bed in particular.

"What'd I miss?" he asked, the last few articles of clothing dropping to the ground beside hers and Theo's.

Hermione flushed from head to toe as a shiver ran down her spine. Rather than answer, she turned her head and took Theo back into her mouth, making him hiss in pleasure again. "She fucking squirted," Theo said, taking a moment to groan as she hollowed her cheeks. "All over my face. It was-" He swallowed hard; his fingers tightening in her hair. "Fuck, I'm close."

She jumped as Draco's hand smarted across her backside, causing her to take Theo further down her throat. "Sorry I missed that," Draco said, his tone remorseful. "I'll make sure I'm present next time," he promised as his hand smoothed over her aching skin. Hermione paused as she felt the bed dip behind her and heard a cap being opened. "Relax, Granger. Just focus on Theo."

She nodded as best she could and went back to getting Theo off. For the most part, though her body was still trembling, she had recovered from the magnitude of her orgasm. However, she wasn't sure if she would be ready for another one. She pulled her mouth off of Theo with an audible pop and bit her lip as Draco slathered lubricant against her rear entrance and slowly pressed one finger into her. She inhaled sharply and then let out a slow breath before nodding her head and lowering hers back down.

Her moan vibrated Theo's cock as Draco carefully added a second finger into her channel. There was still a sting from the intrusion, but it was more pleasant this time than the last. Theo pulsed against her tongue and she knew from the way his body writhed beneath her, he wasn't going to last much longer. She stilled for a moment as Draco's fingers slid out of her so he could nudge the tip of his cock against her entrance instead.

Theo tugged at her hair enough to get her to open her eyes and catch his gaze. She let out a whine as she replaced her mouth with her hand again and nodded rapidly, answering both of their silent questions. Slowly, she took a deep breath in, her eyes going wide as Draco pushed his way inside of her. Theo's hand left her hair to slide down and cup her jaw comfortingly as inch by inch, Draco continued to stretch and fill her.

"Breathe, Hermione," Theo whispered, scooting down so he could reach her better. "Slow, deep breaths," he said. "You're alright."

She whined again once Draco had settled; his cock completely seated inside of her. Her cunt was clenching fiercely with the need to be filled too, but she wasn't ready for that. "Does it feel good, Granger?"

She hoped the noise she made was intelligible, because even as she held Theo's gaze, the sensations she was experiencing were making her lose focus. She closed her eyes to get the full effect and nodded her head. "You like having Draco's cock in your ass, don't you?" Theo asked, his voice nothing more than a murmur.

Her cheek rubbed against Theo's palm as she nodded, still not trusting her voice. She wiggled her hips ever so slightly, signaling it was okay for Draco to start moving. The initial pain of entry had faded to a dull ache, one that had already begun to subside into pure pleasure and the need for more. She wet her lips as Draco palmed the globes of her ass and then held tight to pull himself back.

She shuddered with pleasure as he found a steady rhythm for his thrusts, one that would make quick work of both of them. "Fuck, you're tight like this," Draco muttered behind her.

"Of course she's tight," Theo chuckled, continuing to stroke her jaw. "No one's ever taken you there before, have they?" he asked her.

She shook her head and wet her lips again.

"This is just…" Draco started, fingers digging into her flesh. "Just the beginning. Soon we'll be able to-" He cut himself off with a moan as he bottomed out, making her moan profusely in return. "To fuck you at the same time."

She nodded her head vigorously, her core already begging for that to happen. The thought of them both filling her had her ready to explode. She balanced herself on one hand before pushing gently at Theo until he took the hint and moved back to his original position. The three of them moaned in unison the moment she took his back into her mouth. It wouldn't be long until they were all completely spent for the evening.

Draco increased the pace of his thrusts as Hermione doubled her efforts on Theo. When both of Theo's hands found their way back into her hair, pulling it completely out of the way, she let him take over and fuck her mouth. She braced herself in a way that gave him better access and closed her eyes as both of them pushed her completely over the edge. They came right along with her; Draco spilling his seed inside of her while only a little bit of Theo's went down her throat. The rest of his release coated her face, neck, and some of her chest from having lifted her head to cry out both of their names in the throes of passion.

Draco slipped out of her and then gently guided her so that she was lying between him and Theo again. She thought about getting up for something to clean herself up with, but found that her body refused to respond. Instead, Draco slid from the bed only to return with a hand towel for each of them. They both cleaned themselves up while she wiped Theo's essence from her skin. Before she could even attempt to clean up the mess Draco had left behind, he was there to do it for her, taking extreme caution to be extra careful.

She barely had enough energy to inform them that she was going with Ginny in the morning before her eyelids closed and refused to open again. She vaguely heard one of them promise to make sure she would get up in the morning before the exhaustion took over. Just before she gave in completely, she felt two pairs of arms slide around her as their bodies pressed against her. A smile on her face, she let out a contended sigh, and slipped into a blissful slumber.


	18. Girl's Night

**EIGHTEEN**

**Girl's Night**

The following two weeks went by in a whirlwind chaos. Things at work were taking off since being matched with her new client. That meant all of her time and energy during the week revolved around her job. She was back to going in early and staying late just to make sure the release was in order. It helped ease her fears of being a neglectful girlfriend that Theo and Draco seemed to be both equally busy at their own jobs during the week.

And then on the weekends, Hermione spent the majority of her time with Ginny as the wedding came ever closer. Being maid of honor was certainly putting their friendship through the ringer, but she knew when it was all over, they would both look back on it fondly and all the stress and butting heads would be well worth it.

So with the majority of her days spoken for, the three of them fell into a sort of routine. Every morning, no matter how early she rose, Draco and Theo were up before her. She slept in until she had just enough time to get ready; only seeing them long enough to collect her breakfast from Theo, coffee from Draco, and steal a kiss from them both. When she came home, it was to dinner being kept warm in the oven. Theo would plate it up for her and Draco would pour the wine while she changed into her lounging clothes. She would eat, drink, and spend a small bit of time relaxing with them and chatting about their day before the three of them fell asleep in her bed.

Because of everything, there hadn't been much time or energy to do anything other than sleep. Sunday evenings seemed to be the one day where she was home before Theo even started cooking and they mutually decided to make the most of it. Hermione enjoyed Sundays the most. They both kept her grounded while simultaneously making her lose her mind in the best way possible. She was sure without them, she would have gone off the rails fairly quickly.

She just kept having to remind herself that there was only four weeks left until the wedding. Just one month and she would be able to relax and actually get her life back on track.

It wasn't really a surprise when Ginny's name flashed across the screen of her phone as she left her office on a Friday afternoon. She took a few deep breaths before answering it, hoping that whatever crisis she was about to be informed of, it was something that they could deal with tomorrow. As it was, they were supposed to be getting everything for the bridal shower this weekend in preparation to handle it for the following one.

"Would it be a super bitchy move if I just eloped with Harry tonight?" Ginny asked the moment Hermione answered the call.

Hermione nodded to the crowd in the elevator and then snorted. "And leave me to deal with your mother? Absolutely."

"I need a weekend where I don't have to talk about anything wedding related."

Hermione bit her tongue on saying the feeling was mutual. "Technically, the bridal party is my job, Ginny. You don't have to come with me this weekend. I can get-"

"I'm not letting you do this by yourself," Ginny interrupted. "You're already going above and beyond, Mione." There was a pause where Hermione heard her munching on something and then the sound of swallowing sounded. "It was hard enough to get my mother to let you handle this one without any meddling from her."

Hermione laughed. "I adore your mother, but…"

"Tell me about it."

"I'm serious though," Hermione insisted. "I have no problem shopping for this stuff on my own. We've already got the majority of it, so there won't be _that_ much for me to do."

"Maybe you could drag your boyfriends along with you. I know I've been keeping you from them."

She couldn't keep herself from smiling at that as she stepped off the lift and into the lobby on the ground floor of the building. "You know what, that's not a bad idea."

"Maybe you could even have one of those boyfriends scrounge up some wine and drop it off at the bride-to-be's place. Enough to make the entire weekend disappear so time will have moved faster."

"I'll let you know in a little bit, but I'm sure that can be arranged," she said, stepping out in the employee parking lot. Knowing Draco, he would make the arrangements and have a case or two delivered to Ginny's door before the night was over.

"If you change your mind and want me to come with you, just know that I'm going drunk."

Hermione dissolved into laughter as she unlocked her car. "I won't. I mean it, Gin; relax. I've got this. I promise I won't let you down."

Ginny snorted into the phone. "As if that was ever a concern." There was a brief pause before she added, "Hey, Harry's calling. Love you, talk to you tomorrow!"

"Love you too," she replied, ending the call so she could start her drive home; hoping the entire way there that neither Theo or Draco had plans for the following day already.

* * *

After asking them to spend the day with her shopping and putting the final touches on Ginny's bridal shower, Hermione was surprised by them not only agreeing, but taking over and planning something else entirely. Before she knew it, they were leading her downstairs to Draco's town car, his driver already waiting for her with the door open.

"What did you two do?" she asked before getting into the backseat.

"Do you trust us?" Theo asked.

She did, but that didn't mean they weren't up to no good. The stare she gave them conveyed as much; something they both laughed at. In the end, she bid them both goodnight when they told her that she wouldn't be coming again for the night and that more would be revealed to her as time wore on. She accepted the gift and watched them fade away as the car drove her to Ginny's.

Ginny was standing outside with Harry waiting for her. "What's going on?" she demanded when the driver opened the door for Ginny. "Harry won't tell me anything."

"Did they at least tell you?" she asked Harry. His grin said everything she needed to know. After assuring Ginny that it would be fine, she scooted over to make room and then they were on their way again.

Their destination turned out to be one of the luxury hotels in London where concierge met them at the drop off point and escorted them up to an elaborate suite of rooms. Dinner was already laid out for them on the table as well as a message from Theo and Draco about what was to come.

"They did this?" Ginny asked, taking a seat at the table to tuck into her food. "Jesus, does either of them have a brother? Shit, I'll even take a cousin. Do you think Harry would be open to it? It's not that hard, right?"

Hermione laughed as she sat to eat as well, huddling close to Ginny so they could read. "So it looks like we're just supposed to take it easy tonight and take advantage of room service. Someone will be here at eight to take us down to the spa and then our next set of information will be here when we're done with our relaxation treatments."

"How is this supposed to help with the bridal shower next weekend?" Ginny asked, already pouring her second glass of wine. "Not that I'm complaining."

Hermione smirked as she folded the message and tucked it back into the envelope it had come from. "Something tells me they have that handled too."

"I know it might be too early for you to tell them you love them, but can I say it?"

They simply laughed together as Hermione rolled her eyes and held out her glass for Ginny to fill. They spent the rest of the night exploring the suite, binging on whatever the minibar and room service had to offer. They even changed into the plush robes that had been laid out in the rooms for them, though they ended up falling asleep in the same bed as they usually did whenever they were together.

* * *

Promptly at eight, a woman had arrived to escort them down to the spa. Once inside, they were provided with an array of treatments available and then planned out their three hour time block. There were only a few things that Hermione chose that Ginny didn't, but a vast majority of their time was spent together. The attendants kept their glasses full of whatever beverage they chose; mostly water to avoid getting dehydrated with the amount of steam they were exposing themselves to. They finally allowed themselves a mimosa during their mani-pedis before being escorted back up to their rooms, both of them guessing what was next.

However, the moment they stepped back into their suite, they were greeted by Astoria and her clipboard. "Oh, hello," Hermione said after her and Ginny came to a complete stop.

"What in the world?" Ginny asked, looking around at the few racks of clothing set up in the living room.

"Ah, you're both glowing," came the voice of Pansy a moment before she stepped into view. She smiled as she approached Hermione first, kissing each cheek in turn and then doing the same to Ginny.

"Ginny, this is Pansy and her assistant Astoria. They're friends of Draco and Theo."

Ginny merely nodded, bewildered by the sight of all the garments ready to be browsed. "Go ahead and look, pick whatever you like and Astoria will take it to the room on the left. Once you've both picked your outfits, we'll start hair and make-up. No rush though, the car won't be here until six."

Hermione frowned a bit. She had assured Ginny that her boyfriends had the bridal shower covered, but they hadn't actually told her and this didn't really have anything to do with that. "This is very nice of you, Pansy, but we-"

"Yes, Drake told me all about the bridal shower," Pansy interrupted, guiding her in closer to the clothes. "I was told you would give me the list of those that were invited. By Monday evening I'll have notified everyone of the location changes, but I'll keep the time the same."

"Pansy, I-"

"Just say thank you and pick out no less than five things to try on," she replied with a mischievous sparkle in her eye. "I promise it's of no trouble and everything will go without a hitch." She turned to Ginny then. "Oh, and if you're happy with your hair and make-up today, then I would be happy to send the team out on your wedding day for you."

Ginny's eyes popped out of her skull as she nodded vigorously. "That would be amazing," she said reaching out to embrace Pansy. Ginny was never shy when it came to new people. "Thank you for this."

"Yes, thank you, Pansy," Hermione echoed.

"So where are we going after we get all dolled up?" Ginny asked.

"The car will take you to the restaurant Theo made arrangements for. Your fiancé will be there was well," she said to Ginny. "I've met with him earlier this morning and found him a suit for tonight. You two make a lovely couple."

Ginny blushed; a rare sight, and thanked Pansy again before turning her attention to the racks. They spent a good chunk of time picking out garments and then trying them on. All the while, they chatted and gossiped. It was easy to see that Ginny and Pansy would be fast friends; gossip definitely being the glue that held them together. During that time, Hermione gave the guest list to Astoria who started making arrangements right away.

Once they had their outfits picked out, they moved into the other bedroom where two teams of stylists took over hair and make-up. Pansy directed them as to the styling and colors, scrutinizing every detail to make sure it was perfect. When they were finished, they were brought over to the three-paneled mirror that took up the whole of one wall so they could take in the full effect of their looks.

Hermione was unable to look away from herself in the mirror once the teams were finished. Her one-shoulder gold dress cut off just above her knees and clung to her in all the right places. It even gave her curves she wasn't aware that she had. The material itself was soft to the touch and shimmered under the lights. Her accents were red; her shoes, her little clutch, and her lips, the focal point of her makeup. Her hair had been swept off to the side with her only sleeve in a fishtail braid. Little gold and red adornments were added to her hair to complete the look.

Ginny had been dressed in a deep, royal purple with silver accents. Her dress was similar in length and had a sweetheart neckline, but no sleeves. There was a silver chain draped around her waist as well as a matching one around her neck. Her hair had been left down, but was pulled away from her face in a few, small intricate braids.

When it was time to leave, Pansy assured them that they would be gone before they made it back, but Hermione wasn't sure if she was addressing her or Ginny. Both girls exchanged a look, shrugged, and waved goodbye as they went down to the lobby in the lift.

"I don't know about you, but Harry is definitely getting laid tonight," Ginny said once the lift doors closed.

Hermione laughed, but nodded in agreement. "I'm sure we'll end up going home, so feel free to come back here after dinner."

"What? No competition on who can be the loudest?"

Hermione fanned at her eyes to keep tears from ruining her makeup as she shouldered Ginny. "Gross."

"I suppose I should thank you then," Ginny said as they continued down. "Not having to listen to you fuck _two_ blokes at the same time will make me feel better about my sex life. Tell me, is at glorious as all the porn makes it out to be?"

Had it not been for the layers of makeup, Hermione knew she would have been bright red. "It's pretty good," she admitted. "But exhausting at the same time."

"When the wedding is over, I'm going to demand full details," she said with a wolfish grin. "You do know that, right?"

Hermione snorted. "I expected nothing less," she said, reaching for Ginny's hand and giving it a squeeze. "Thank you, Gin. For being so supportive."

"I'm just glad you're happy, Mione. I've never seen you like this and it's quite a good look." The doors to the lift open and they made their way out to the main entrance where they could see the car waiting for them already. "Come on!" Ginny said excitedly, picking up the pace of her steps. "Let's go meet up with our men and carry out this fairytale evening of ours."

"Yes please," she said, more eager than ever before to see Draco and Theo. On the ride to the restaurant, she realized how glad she was for all the relaxation and pampering she had received during the day. It was a much-needed cleanse to her system that left her refreshed and ready to thank them both properly until she was nothing but a pile of putty in their hands.

* * *

The way all three men lit up the moment Hermione and Ginny stepped into view was enough to make them both melt. Harry gave her a nod and a quick kiss on the cheek, whispering, "Thank you," on his way to Ginny.

She laughed and turned her head to see the two of them interact. The two of them would forever be one of her favorite sights; the way they gazed sickeningly at one another. The amount of love they had for each other was something Hermione hoped to achieve with someone someday. As she turned to her other favorite sight, she couldn't help but wonder if that was where the three of them were headed. Judging from the look in both of their eyes, it was easy to think that it would.

Dinner was lovely. It was the completely opposite of the one they had with her parents not long ago. Then, she had had to pretend that they were just roommates and friends. Here, she was able to enjoy both Draco and Theo's company the way she wanted. Harry and Ginny never judged her; they just accepted that she was happy and made the most of their time together.

She was glad to hear that Harry, Theo, and Draco had spent a majority of the day together just as she and Ginny had. She knew it was one of Ginny's main complaints about her fiancé; his lack of friends. It was more of a concern, but she hated the fact that the only person he did anything with was her brother. They even talked about the fact that all of their men were getting on as fast friends.

It wasn't until they were leaving that Hermione pulled Draco and Theo off to the side. "I'm not sure what your plan was exactly, but would it be okay if we sent them back to the hotel alone?"

They each took hold of one of her hands and nodded in unison. "We figured you might ask us that," Theo said with a grin, bringing the back of his hand to her lips.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him before turning to Draco. "Both of you. Everything this weekend was perfect."

"You're welcome," Draco said, kissing the back of her other hand before stepping closer to her, his lips moving to her ear. "You can thank us at home," he teased as he stepped away.

Hermione shivered and looked at Theo who only winked at her and thread their fingers together. She stepped up to him, laying her head on his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. She watched as Draco delivered the news to the soon to be newlyweds and smiled when Ginny threw her arms around Draco, kissing his cheek. She let go of Theo to embrace her friends and bid them goodbye as Draco called for another car.

Their own car ride was hot and heavy. By the time they arrived home, her hair was a right mess from the both of them having their fingers in it. Her lipstick was smeared all over her lips as well as theirs. The skirt of her dress was wrinkled from being bunched up and her knickers were soaked with how much they had teased her to the edge, but never let her come.

Upstairs, as she thanked them both more than once over the course of the night, she thought of Ginny's words from the night before. Was it possible to love someone this early in a relationship? It wasn't as if there was a set rule for this sort of thing; a timetable she had to abide by. Even though it was on the tip of her tongue to say it, she found she was quite ready, but as she nestled in between them after to sleep, she knew it wouldn't belong before she found the words.


	19. I Quit

**NINETEEN**

**I Quit**

The three weeks that followed the impromptu weekend of being pampered flew by with more wedding stuff. The bridal shower had been absolutely perfect thanks to Pansy. The way Ginny broke down at the way her dreams had come true for the event had Hermione wondering if this was how she was going to be at the wedding. She hoped it was less, though she knew it would be more, because once Ginny cried, Hermione was done for.

Starting with the weekend of the bachelorette party up until the weekend following the wedding, Hermione was going to be out of the office. She spent the week after the bridal shower and the week leading up to the party making sure all her affairs were in order so that everything would be smooth sailing in her absence. As time to start her vacation quickly approached, she was more than ready for that second week that she would have nothing to do but laze in bed day and night, wrapped up between her partners.

On Thursday as she was getting ready to leave the office for the night, she did one last check on her time off situation. She had been so busy during the week that she hadn't gone about checking it. Since the following day was her first official day of vacation, she wanted to make sure there weren't any surprises. Needless to say that when she opened her the necessary programs, she was taken aback at the cancellations of her time off requests.

Without a second thought, she stormed out of her office and down the hall to her boss. She didn't even bother to knock before she stepped over the threshold and let him have it.

"Why is my vacation being denied?"

Kingsley looked up from his computer and leaned back in his chair. He had clearly anticipated this conversation with her and it hurt knowing he waited until she found out like this to have it with her.

"You just signed Miss Carrow," he said, a cautious edge to his voice. "Taking on a client with of her caliber requires-"

"My vacation is scheduled to start tomorrow!" she interrupted. She glanced at the clock on the wall and gestured towards it. "Technically, it starts in ten minutes when I clock out for the day. I've been checking every day for the past eight months with the exception of this past week because I've been making sure everything goes fine without me." She paused to take a deep breath. "Which means cancelling my time off must have occurred in the last four working days. Highly unfair, don't you think?"

"Hermione-"

"I put in the request eight months ago, Kingsley. The day I found out the date had been set. It's not like I'm going to just sit around and do nothing, although, if I was, I would be entitled to do that. I'm a fucking Maid of Honor for my best friend's wedding!"

"Hermione, this went above me. I didn't…"

As he continued to play the corporate made the executive decision card, Hermione hit her breaking point. She slowly let herself relax, taking deep, even breaths. Her lips curved into a smile as she said the words she had been dying to say for far longer than she cared to admit.

"What?" Kingsley asked, standing up in surprise.

"I quit," she repeated. "I should have quit ages ago, but I was being stubborn. Thank you for the opportunity, Kings, but I can't do this anymore." She gave a curt nod of her head and went back to her office. She scanned the room for the few personal items she had brought in over the years. She emptied a box that held the reams of paper for her printer and placed her things into it. Once she had everything, she took her leave.

As the lift closed, her confidence wavered ever so slightly and she wondered if she had made the right choice after all.

* * *

The drive home was neither short or fast. Truthfully, by the time she pulled into her parking space, she couldn't remember even getting into her car. She sat there for a little bit, just staring out the windshield with her hands trembling on the steering wheel. When she was able to get out of the car, still in a daze, she left her belongings behind, save for her purse.

Realistically, she knew Draco and Theo would support her decision. They had even told her so a few weeks back. If she remembered correctly, Draco had even urged her to quit then. She had been thinking about it since then, but whenever she asked herself what she would do if she quit, her lack of answer kept her from doing it. She supposed now she would have time to figure it out.

As she stopped in front of her door, she fished out her keys and slid it into the lock. She hung her purse and removed her shoes, setting them in their proper places at the entrance before pausing at the sound of a moan. She slowly turned her attention towards the living room and did a double take at what she saw. Her hand crept up to cover her lips and her eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

Hermione couldn't see anything below their shoulders, but Draco and Theo were on the couch. They weren't just sitting; no. They were full on making out with one another as if they were in high school and their parents were supposed to be out for the night. She swallowed hard at the sight of Draco's hand in Theo's curls; of the way Theo nipped at Draco's lips, both drawing all sorts of noises from the other.

Stress over her work life, or rather, lack there of at the moment, took a backseat as she watched the pair in utter fascination. She had been waiting patiently, albeit mostly because she was too busy to bring it up again, for Theo to talk to Draco about the nature of their relationship. She figured they either hadn't had their talk yet or they had and they were still discussing it. Either way, that was between them and their own comfort level.

Though, as Hermione closed the distance between them as she saw Draco's other hand in Theo's lap, she surmised they weren't opposed to the idea of one another.

And damn if the sight didn't dampen her knickers.

She bit her lip as Theo's eyes opened and caught sight of her. She folded her arms over her chest and quirked a brow at them as they cleared their throats and settled back on their own cushions. "So… I take it the two of you had a nice chat?"

They both grinned sheepishly at her. "Something like that, yeah," Theo replied.

She waved her hand at the both of them. "Feel free to continue. Pretend I'm not even here, really. I insist."

"Jesus, Granger," Draco hissed, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tidy it up.

"He didn't believe me when I told him you'd be into it," Theo replied turning a smug look at Draco.

Her thighs pressed together as she shifted and leaned over the couch to press her lips to Draco's. She hummed against his lips as she tasted Theo on his tongue. "Trust me," she whispered, pulling away. "I'm into it."

Draco pushed up onto his knees facing the back of the couch. As she moved to kiss Theo, Draco's hand slid up her skirt. He cursed under his breath as he discovered how damp she was between her thighs. "How long has this been a fantasy of yours?" he asked, his finger hooking around the ruined fabric and tugging up.

Her breath caught in her throat as she straightened to look at him. "Not long," she breathed as he continued to tease her with her own knickers. "Was this your first kiss?" she asked.

They both nodded at her as Theo copied Draco's stance on the couch and slipped his hand up her shirt to palm her breasts over her bra.

"And?"

Draco and Theo exchanged a look, smirking at one another before looking back at her. "We still have some things to discuss, but-" Theo started.

"I think we're on the same page," Draco finished, both of them withdrawing their touch at the same time.

She barely had time to register the loss of their touch before they were off the couch and pulling her towards her room. Once they were at the side of the bed, Theo stood behind her, undressing her lower half while Draco removed her upper layers of clothing from in front of her. The more skin they exposed, the more kisses they placed on her body. By the time Theo bent her over the edge of the bed, she was already half way to her first orgasm when he sank inside of her.

They took turns with her, switching partners from one orgasm to the next; be it theirs or hers. By the time they were finished, she felt sated from having every part of her body thoroughly fucked. As they settled into their usual spot on the bed of her in the middle, Theo and Draco crossed over her to kiss each other before lying down beside her to catch their breath.

Hermione smiled and reached for their hands, linking them together with her own and staring up at the ceiling. "How was your day at work?" Draco asked, turning his head to kiss her shoulder.

Her breath caught as the end of her work day came flooding back to the forefront of her mind and before she knew it, she was sobbing as she told them the story. She felt better the moment it was out in the open and even more so when they both held her close. It was hard to tell where one of them ended and the others began. It eased her fears to have them this close while they reassured her that she could take all the time she needed to figure out what she really wanted to do. That they would support her no matter what in every way that they could.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Theo asked.

She huffed and grinned up at him as Draco's lips grazed over her shoulder from behind. "I was distracted upon walking in," she said and shivered as someone's fingers grazed her hip. "It wasn't like I was going to keep it from either of you."

"I should hope not," Draco retorted.

"I don't think it's hit me yet, but can we not talk about it right now?" she asked.

They both nodded and kissed whatever part of her skin was closest to their lips at that moment. "What do you want to talk about then?" Theo asked.

"Your plans for this next week," she said, her own fingers trailing over whatever parts of them she could reach. "I won't be coming home until the night of the wedding so the two of you will be alone for a week."

Draco's chuckle sent vibrations up her spine. "Just what do you think we'll be doing with all that time on our hands, Granger?"

She shivered and felt her skin flush as her mind brought up images of the two of them doing everything they had all just done together. "I have a few theories."

"Care to share?" Theo asked.

She shook her head and pressed her lips against Theo's jaw. "Just whatever you do, make sure it's what you really want to do. I would hate it if this gets awkward because you tried something you weren't ready for. Something that you tried just because I-"

A hand stole up to cover her lips and she sighed against them instead of finishing her ramble. "We won't," they promised at the same time.

She nodded and the had dropped back to gently caress her skin. "Nothing will have changed when we see you at the wedding," Draco assured her.

"Will you both promise me something?" They both muttered their responses and she smiled at their eagerness to appease her fears. "If it goes well, promise me that you'll tell me about it."

They both laughed, but it was Draco who spoke next. "Oh Granger," he muttered against her shoulder. "We'll do you one better," he added. "I might be presumptuous here, but I'm sure it will go well and when we see you again, we'll show you exactly how each," he paused to nip at her skin. "And every," another bite, "conversation goes."

She whimpered as she felt both of their cocks stirring back to life. Before she knew it, they took turns sharing her again, only stopping when they could barely keep their eyes open let alone move another muscle. Completely wrapped up in one another, they all fell asleep until her alarms went off the next morning, signaling the start of a very long, lonely, busy week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a bonus chapter in the form of a oneshot that details the "conversation" between Theo and Draco in Hermione's absence. It's called Parabatai.


	20. Maid of Honor

**TWENTY**

**Maid of Honor**

Eight days.

That's how long it had been since Hermione had truly seen Theo and Draco. Since she had last felt their arms around her or kissed them on her way out to the cab that would take her to the airport for the Bachelorette weekend party get away.

The moment they arrived on Sunday night from their festivities, she had gone straight to Ginny's parents with the bride to be. She had already planned on doing this ages ago and wasn't going to back out of it now just to see her boyfriends. Besides, they were too busy with all of the last minute details anyway. The week, while it still felt to go by slowly, actually went by rather fast.

It wasn't as if there weren't any contact with Draco and Theo. It would have driven her insane if that were the case. She had spoken to them at length on Sunday night, letting them know that she was back and her trip was fantastic. She even remembered falling asleep while on the phone with them and waking up to sweet messages from both of them the following morning.

The rest of their interactions had been limited. With so much going on to set up, she had enough time to send goodnight texts at night and have a nice day messages in the morning. If she remembered correctly, she might have talked to them on the phone during the middle of the week, but she wasn't convinced it wasn't a dream.

She hadn't gotten to talk to them at all on Friday, the day before the wedding. Instead, she had spent the entire day talking Ginny off a ledge while they screamed at each other thanks to their high levels of stress. Though, at the end of the day, they took out the bottle of wine Draco had made sure she kept for this very occasion and sat on Ginny's bed. They spent the night in their pyjamas, eating ice cream, drinking wine, and watching cheesy romantic comedies.

She went to sleep feeling nearly as excited as Ginny, but where her friend was thinking of her upcoming wedding, Hermione was thinking of seeing Draco and Theo for the first time in over a week.

* * *

Hermione was sure that by the time she looped her arm through Ron's on the way back down the aisle, she had cried off all of her mascara. She had even made sure to get the waterproof kind, but at least her tears were the happy kind. She knew she was going to cry; it was her best friend's wedding. Someone she had known for as long as she could remember. Someone she considered a sister.

But dear god, she hadn't been prepared for the ocean of tears seeing it happen actually brought. Through blurry eyes as they followed the new bride and groom away from the altar, she spotted Draco and Theo. They were both smiling at her and she waved back, excited to see them at the reception.

First the wedding party was to convene off to the other side of the property. It was a good thing the Weasley family had such a sizeable property. They were able to host both the ceremony and the reception and still have space between the two to make them feel completely separate. They had even rented several large tents that celebrities like to use; ones that were air conditioned on the inside so that guests wouldn't die under the sweltering summer heat.

After what felt like a million pictures, it was finally time to seek out her boyfriends.

They were waiting for her outside the main tent. She could hear the commotion from inside and shook her head. With a quick peck on the cheek to Ron, she stepped away to greet Theo and Draco instead of following him into the tent. It wasn't like Zabini's cousin's wedding. There, she had only just accepted their offer for what they had now and she didn't want to cause a scene. Here, she still didn't want to draw too much attention to them, but she didn't care who saw her in that moment.

She reached for both of them as they reached for her. She sighed with relief at how good it felt to have both pairs of arms wrapped around her. All three of them squeezed as hard as they could and it wasn't until her muscles ached that she pulled back from them. They leaned in, kissing her on opposite cheeks at the same time; neither daring for more. She could tell from the gleam in their eyes as they straightened up that if they kissed her like they wanted, they wouldn't be able to stop.

And if she were honest, neither would she.

"Hi," she said, smiling at them both.

"You look great," Theo said, eyes skimming down the length of her flowy, sage dress.

"Not the right shade of green, though," Draco added with a smirk.

"Does it matter what shade it is?" she asked, her lips curving into a smile. "I won't be wearing it long anyway."

Theo and Draco exchanged a glance before turning wolfish grins on her. "Go ahead, Granger. Tease away," Draco started.

"See what happens," Theo finished.

"Or what?" she asked, quirking her brow at them.

"You'll see," Draco answered for both of them before nodding towards the door. "Come on, let's get you inside."

She laughed under her breath. "Isn't that my line?"

A yelp of surprise passed her lips as Theo's hand smacked across her backside. While he had held back and been more playful in his delivery, it stung and added to the simmering desire that dampened her knickers from just being near them. She looked around to see if someone had noticed and then half glared half grinned at Theo. "Keep it up and we'll be leaving far earlier than we already planned."

She cleared her throat and looked between the two of them. They were definitely going to be the death of her. "Yes, well, I guess we'll have to have to keep it in our pants until then, won't we?"

They chuckled as they followed her inside the tent; into the chaos that was the Weasley clan.

Somewhere between the speeches from her and Ron, dinner, and tossing the bouquet, Hermione had had far too many glasses of champagne. Which she considered quite the feat since when she wasn't part of those events, Theo and Draco kept her on the dance floor. She knew it was their excuse to touch her and tease her. Since she wouldn't let them just throw her over their shoulders and leave early, it was all they had and they took it.

She pulled away from them to catch her breath and get a glass of water. They had started to follow her, but were stopped by Harry and Ron. She snickered to herself as she heard a guy's night being proposed in the near future.

"Good friends of yours?"

Hermione tore her eyes away from the boys to smile at Molly. "You've met Theo before," she said with a smile. "My flatmate?"

Molly narrowed her eyes and then dissolved into laughter. "Goodness, he looks different in a suit! Delectable if I do say so myself."

Hermione was glad that she had already swallowed her sip of water. If she hadn't, she would have choked on it. "He does, doesn't he?"

"And the blond?"

"That's his friend Draco. He pretty much lives with us."

She could see the wheels turning in Molly's eyes and then she widened them again, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Oh, I see. It figures two good looking men would find each other. They look happy. Do you all get along?"

Hermione had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from roaring with laughter. "We're very close with one another," she said, sipping at her water. "It's a small flat."

As if their ears were burning, Draco and Theo approached, both politely greeting Molly with a kiss to the back of her hand in turn. "Truly lovely ceremony," Draco said.

"I've seen many a backyard wedding and this takes the cake," Theo added.

"Hermione could give you a tour of the house," Molly said brightly. A few months ago she had finished a mostly DIY remodel of the entire house and was happy to show it off to anyone that would look. "Oh, excuse me," she said, smiling at them before moving to where her husband was waving her over.

"A tour sounds lovely," Theo said, grinning at her and then at Draco who nodded in agreement.

"I can get my stuff while we're in the house," she said and turned to lead the way.

"What were you and Misses Weasley speaking of?" Draco asked. "You were looking at us and trying very hard not to laugh."

She rounded on them as they stepped up to the back porch and placed a hand on her hip. "I'll have you know, I'm not the only one who thinks the two of you have a thing between you. She knows you're my flatmate and when I told her you stay over, she assumed it was with Theo." She smirked at them. "So laugh all you want, but it proves that I wasn't so far off base."

Draco's smirk made her thighs press together and he took a step closer to her. "Granger, if you don't take us inside, I'm going to take _you_ right against the door."

Her eyes widened and she hesitated for a moment. As he took another step to her, she let out a squeak and turned for the door. "Did your week together not go well?" she asked them as she led them inside.

"It did," Theo replied, giving her a reassuring look when she paused to turn back to them. "And we'll tell you all about it later."

"We promise there's nothing bad, Granger," Draco spoke. "We just would much prefer our cocks buried in you rather than each other."

"It was pretty good though. Better than I-"

Theo stopped talking when Hermione whined at the mental image his words conjured up. She swallowed hard and shook her head. "Okay, maybe you two should just wait here while I grab my stuff."

"Why? Don't trust us to keep our hands to ourselves?" Draco asked.

"I think it's her own hands she doesn't trust," Theo remarked.

She gave a weak nod of her head and took a half step back from the both of them. As badly as she wanted both of them inside of her as soon as possible, she wasn't comfortable doing that in someone else's house. "I still have to say goodbye to Ginny."

"Then I suggest you hurry," Draco said with a smile.

She gave another nod and then scampered up the stairs to gather her things. Having anticipated just wanting to grab her things and go, she had packed early that morning. If there was something she had left behind, she would let Molly know and then come back for it later. She did take a moment to herself before heading back down. Draco took her bags and stepped away to find his driver so he could put them in the car. Theo went with him, leaving her to return to the tent to make her rounds to say goodbye.

It wasn't hard to do considering she really only knew Ginny's immediate family and a handful of others. The only people she really wanted to say goodbye to was Ginny and Harry. Everyone else she hardly spoke to anyway so it wouldn't matter if she didn't say goodbye. She wasn't even sure if she had said hello.

Ginny gave her that knowing look when she approached. "Ha! I win!" she said, checking Harry with her shoulder.

"Win?" she asked, looking between the newlyweds.

"On how long you would actually stick around pretending to be my single best friend after you laid eyes on your boyfriends," Ginny replied with a Cheshire grin.

"I said you would stay until we left," Harry grumbled.

"I said you would leave right after dinner."

"I hate both of you."

Ginny laughed as she pulled her into a hug. "Please go and get your brains shagged out."

"Gin," Harry winced, his lips curling up at the thought.

"What? I've cockblocked her enough for one week. Thank you, by the way. For everything."

"You're welcome," she said, rolling her eyes at the first part. "I love you both and congratulations. I want to hear all about the honeymoon when you come back," she said, hugging Harry and then Ginny one more time.

"I'll tell you if you tell me," Ginny replied with a wink.

"That's my cue to leave," Hermione muttered and with a shake of her head, turned to take her leave of the tent once more.

Theo and Draco were there waiting for her. They each offered her an arm and she took both of them. They walked to the car, finding it deep within the other cars that had been parked on the property for the event. The driver opened the door for them and they filed in one-by-one. Their hands were on her the moment the door closed behind them. The car hadn't even pulled out of its spot before one of them hiked her dress up around her waist while the other made her knickers disappear.

Her breathing was nothing more than rapid pants as they each ran one hand up one of her thighs. She bit her lip as she watched them slowly move their way to her core. Theo to her left had his lips on her shoulder where the strap of her dress had fallen. Draco simply had his forehead resting against hers, their breath mingling between them. She cried out as one finger from each of them slid between her folds and pressed into her at the same time.

Had they not spent the night teasing her throughout the party, she knew, without a doubt, they would have drawn this out for as long as possible. But she could tell they needed her as much as she needed them. They worked together, completely in tune with one another as they took turns swiping their thumbs across her clit. She pressed her forehead harder against Draco's and came for them with a series of incoherent whines.

They didn't give her much time to recuperate before Draco slid her over his lap. He had already freed himself and she had barely settled in to straddle him when he pushed up and filled her. She tipped her head back so his lips could trail up and down her throat as he held onto her hips and thrust upwards relentlessly.

When she slid her gaze towards Theo he was watching them, studying her face in a way that made her blush. She bit her lip when he smirked and lifted one hand from Draco's shoulder to reach for him. He scooted across the seat until he was right next to Draco and she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and shifted so she could lean in and kiss him. No sooner did his tongue find hers did Draco hit something inside of her that had their releases catch them by surprise.

Draco had barely finished coming when Theo reached for her. Draco helped make the transition from one lap to the other as least awkward as possible. Theo's lashes fluttered against his cheeks as he groaned from the way he slid inside of her. "God I missed you," he murmured, as his fingers tightened their hold on her hips.

"Me or this?" she asked, smirking coyly down at him.

He increased his thrusts and snorted. "Both, obviously."

"Definitely both," Draco added.

She smiled at him and leaned over to kiss him. Her hand stole down to run down the length of his cock, still covered in their combined slick. He jerked beneath her touch and nipped at her lips, but it didn't stop her from wrapping her hand around him and pumping steadily. "I missed you too," she whispered against his lips. She pulled back enough to kiss Theo, her hand stealing into his hair to hold herself steady. "Both of you."

"Obviously," they said in unison, both of them equally breathless as they neared their release.

They came together; moans and groans echoing around them in the space of the car. A blush stole to her cheeks and she shivered at the realization that it didn't matter what the barrier between them and the front seat was made of, there was no way the driver hadn't heard them. With a sigh, she shifted off of Theo's lap and with both of their assistance, moved to take her original place between them. Not an easy feat with Theo having to scoot away at the same time to allow that to happen.

She watched with a quirk of her brow as Draco reached for her knickers from the floor. Her hand lifted to take them, but he smirked and proceeded to use them to clean himself off. She scowled at him and then Theo in turn when he took them from Draco to do the same.

"I can't reach my bags from here," she groused as Theo tossed the soiled undergarment back to the floor.

"Not unless you have some superpowers that allow you to reach through the seat," Theo replied.

She snorted. "How am I supposed to clean up then?"

"You're not," Draco said, voice flat.

She turned sharply towards him. Her thighs rubbed together as she felt the aftermath of all of them sliding out of her body. "Oh come on," she muttered, looking back and forth between them. "You don't expect me to wait until we get home to clean up?"

They both laughed and gave her a nod. "Actually, we do," Theo replied.

"We insist," Draco added. "Besides," he started, adjusting so he could see her. He placed a gentle hand on her knee and pulled her leg over his, fingers ghosting along her inner thigh. Theo mimicked him and hummed in approval which made her blush more.

"We like you like this," Theo finished, his voice a tender murmur along her shoulder.

"Mhmm," she hummed. "I'm sure you do."

They exchanged a glance with one another and then frowned. "Unless it bothers you," Draco said.

Her blush made them smirk. A soft moan escaped her lips as Theo's finger brushed through the mess at her core. "Tell us, Hermione, do you like having us both come inside of you?" he asked.

She gave a half nod and watched him through hooded eyes as he brought it up, brushing the slick over her lips until they were fully coated. Her tongue darted out to wipe her lips clean, but Draco clucked his tongue, making her pause. "Not until you answer Theo's question."

She swallowed hard and bit down on her tongue to keep it from disobeying. "Yes," she breathed.

"Yes what?" Theo asked.

She shuddered and squirmed in her seat. "I like it when you both fill me up."

"Good girl," they both purred.

She shivered from head to toe and they all moaned; her from swiping her tongue across her lips, licking them clean of their essence and them from watching her do it. It was then that Draco pulled a handkerchief from a little compartment beneath the barrier and gently reached down to clean her up.

When they had tucked themselves back into their trousers and the three of them were more or less presentable, she leaned her head on Theo's shoulder and curled her feet onto Draco's lap. She told them all about the week she'd had in preparation for the wedding, talking until they were back at their flat, naked, and tangled in the sheets until exhaustion got the best of them.


	21. The Matriarch

**TWENTY-ONE**

**The Matriarch**

The week that followed the wedding felt like a regular vacation. It went just as she had planned it. Sunday afternoon, after several complaints from both men, she managed to convince them to take her shopping. She loaded herself up on books and a few other things that would occupy her time while they were at work. Though, as it turned out, they both had taken some work off as a surprise for her, leaving her hardly enough time to even give her new stack of books more than a longing look.

The next week, while Draco and Theo went to work during the day, she would take up her favorite spot on the couch and devour the book at the top of the stack. Most days she finished two by the time they came home. They found her in the same spot they had left her in, but even though they exchanged a glance amongst themselves, they didn't say anything to her about it.

It was her night out with Ginny nearly three weeks after the wedding that the topic of discussion she'd been avoiding resurfaced. Hermione had no intention of retiring before thirty and after three weeks of doing nothing but reading and fucking, it was time to figure out what she wanted to do career wise. The only problem was that she didn't know what she wanted to be when she "grew up" and Ginny wasn't any help.

It was that following Monday after Theo and Draco kissed her goodbye on their way to work that Hermione showered and left the flat a little over an hour later. A small part of her wondered if her motivation to find inspiration was due to the fact that she had read all of her books, but she would take whatever she could get. So for a good portion of the morning, she drove around town hoping it would help her brainstorm.

But as her stomach began to grumble, alerting her to the fact it was nearly lunch, Hermione gave up. The highlight of driving around was that while she was figuring out exactly where she had ended up so she could pick a place to eat, she realized she was close to Pansy's office. After a moment to work up the nerve to pop in unannounced, Hermione made her way there and didn't allow herself to back out of it.

Milly looked up from her computer and smiled at her. "Miss Granger," she said, briefly looking down at her desk. "I don't have you down for an appointment today."

"No, sorry, I was just stopping by to see if Pansy was free for lunch."

"Oh," Milly said, looking towards the office door. "She actually has a client right now. I think they were talking about getting lunch, but let me tell her-"

"Oh no, you don't have to. If she's busy-"

But Milly was already pressing buttons on her phone to page into Pansy's office. Hermione just smiled at her and listened to her say her name. A few moments later, half of Astoria's body appeared around the office door and she beckoned Hermione forward. With a sigh and a nod of thanks at Milly, Hermione moved towards Astoria.

"If she's busy-"

"She told me to drag you by your hair if necessary," Astoria cut in with a smirk.

"Would you?" Hermione asked, her voice a bit squeakier than she would have liked.

"If I showed you my salary, you wouldn't be asking me that," she replied and held the door open for Hermione.

She let out a nervous laugh as Astoria shut the door behind her. Someone snapped their fingers and they both turned to see Pansy beckoning Astoria. "Make sure everything she purchased can be delivered no later than tomorrow," she said and then smiled at Hermione. "Care to join us for lunch?"

"As I've been _trying_ to say, if you have a client, I can come by another day. I know you weren't expecting to see me."

Pansy's eyes glittered with mischief as she stepped forward and linked her arm with Hermione's. "Trust me, you'll want to meet this client. In fact, we were just talking about you."

"Me?"

Pansy only nodded and led her across the room to her desk. She let go of her arm for a moment in favor of leaning over and grabbing the pamphlet on top the desk. "Do you like French?"

"Um, sure," Hermione said, unable to recall if she'd ever had anything other than French pastries. "Who-"

"Pansy, darling?" The voice was light and tinkling as it carried across the room.

"Write down what you want and give it to Astoria," she said before heading towards the curtained off corner of the room where the voice had come from.

Hermione leaned against the desk and wrote down the thing that sounded the most familiar to her and then set off in the direction Astoria had run off to. She gave her the piece of paper and the other girl took it, smiling at her as she was on the phone and unable to say anything else. Left to her own devices, she took to sifting through the racks in the center of the room. Whoever this client was, their taste was far more expensive than anything Pansy had showed her yet. And the styling was a little on the older, more vintage side.

"Is this her?"

The voice of the mystery client startled Hermione out of her thoughts and she turned around with a surprised expression. The manners her parents had raised her to have kicked in and she moved forward with her hand outstretched. "Hermione Granger," she said.

The woman gave her a soft smile and placed a pale hand in hers, grasping lightly, but firm enough to complete the shake. "Narcissa Malfoy. It's lovely to meet you, Miss Granger."

Hermione went still, her mouth drying as her jaw slackened. "M-Malfoy?" she stammered. "As in-"

"Draco's mother," she finished, extracting her hand and smoothing down her skirt.

Pansy was no help when she turned wide eyes her way. She simply smirked and placed her hands on her hips as she watched their interactions. "I'm sorry, I wasn't…"

"I've heard quite a bit about you from Pansy, Theo, and my son. I was hoping our first interaction would be from Draco accepting one of my dozens of invitations to lunch, but this might be better."

That was news to Hermione. Draco hadn't really spoken of his family and he certainly hadn't mentioned the fact that his mother had been asking to meet her. She wasn't sure how she felt about that considering she had brought him to meet her parents, albeit under the guise of friendship, but still. Whatever he had told his mother seemed to be out of the realm of just being his friend.

"Astoria already ran out to get the food, perhaps we could have tea while we wait?" Pansy said, turning to leave them alone as she instructed Milly to bring it to them.

Narcissa smiled as she reached out to pat Hermione on the arm. "I'm sorry," Hermione repeated, mentally cringing. "I'm not normally this shy. I just… I wasn't expecting to meet you. So soon anyway. I-"

"Relax, Miss Granger," Narcissa said, her voice soft with a hint of laughter in her eyes. "I've only heard good things."

Hermione wanted to say that she was normally better at meeting the parents, but quickly realized she hadn't ever been serious enough about anyone to actually meet them. And as they walked to the table to sit, Hermione realized she had never introduced anyone to her parents other than Theo and Draco. She wondered if Narcissa only knew her as her son's flatmate and friend or as more. And if so, just how much more?

"So what do you do?" Narcissa asked. "Pansy mentioned something about publishing?"

"Uh, recently yes, but I quit a few weeks ago." Her heart skipped a beat at the way it sounded and she hoped Narcissa didn't see her as a gold digger.

"What happened?" Pansy asked as she rejoined them.

"I found out the day before I was supposed to be off for the wedding that my time off had been cancelled. I haven't been happy there in a long time so I quit before I could let myself be talked into working instead of attending the wedding."

"Good for you," Narcissa said, adding one lump of sugar to her tea. "Will you work for another publisher?"

"I'm not sure. I've been trying to figure out what I want to do, but I'm at a loss."

"You should have said something sooner," Pansy said with a sigh. "I love this kind of stuff."

Hermione laughed as adjusted her own cup of tea with honey and a splash of milk. She caught Narcissa's smile and did a double take. "Draco takes his tea the same way."

Heat crept to her cheeks as she stirred and then took a sip.

"Come on, let's make a list," Pansy said, excitement clear in her voice. "I'm sure the three of us can get a solid list of potential careers listed by the time we're through with lunch."

"Thank you," she said with a sigh of relief. "I don't know how much more I can take doing nothing all day."

By the time Astoria came back with the food, they already had a few things listed and the awkwardness of meeting Narcissa was gone. The rest of the afternoon flew by as she got to know Draco's mother and found herself enjoying the company and learning quite a bit about not only the three women, but Draco and Theo as well.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Hermione had gone home with her list of potential careers to explore and tucked it into her nightstand. Wanting to speak to Draco and Theo about her options, she put it out of her mind for the mean time and dove into one of her books to pass the time before they came home. She didn't have to wait long before they came into the flat, arguing over opposing sports teams. They stopped when she greeted them each with a kiss and then asked them about their days.

"What about yours?" Draco asked.

"Oh, I'm _so_ glad you asked me," she said, grinning at the way they glanced at each other and then quirked their brows at her. "I decided to go for a drive and clear my head. I found myself near Pansy's office and decided to drop by for lunch."

"That's good. How was it?" Theo questioned, not noticing the way Draco had gone still.

"Lunch was great. I learned so much," she drawled, looking directly at Draco. "Like the fact that your mother has been asking you to have the three of us come over to dinner so your parents can meet me."

Draco swallowed hard and gave her a sheepish grin. "My mother was there, wasn't she?"

"She's lovely, by the way. A picture-perfect representation of a modern aristocratic woman." She tipped her head to the side and reached for Draco's hand. "Why did you tell me she wanted to meet me?" she asked. "If it was because you weren't ready to tell her anything, that's fine, but-"

"It's not that," he interrupted, tightening his hold on her hand. "I want you to meet them, I just… I've never brought anyone to meet them before. Anyone they didn't know from my childhood, that is."

"And before you say anything about it being because you're in a different social class as them, Hermione, that isn't it either," Theo informed her, his voice stern.

Draco's eyes narrowed at her for a moment. "Was that something that ever crossed your mind?"

She gave a light shrug and tried to tug her hand back, but he refused to relinquish his hold. "It might have."

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms so tight around her she nearly had trouble breathing. "That's not it, Hermione. I promise you. If anything, I'm afraid that they'll like you more than me."

She laughed despite herself and returned Draco's embrace with one of her own. "You're their son."

"You should see how they treat Theo," he mumbled and Theo snorted from off to the side. "But in all honesty, Hermione, I just wasn't sure if we were all there yet. I know I met your parents, but that wasn't as your boyfriend. This would be different. This means it's not just casual and fun."

She pulled back and cupped his face with one hand while she reached out for Theo's hand with the other. "I'd like to think we're there," she said, her voice soft. "But regardless, your mother is expecting us over for dinner Saturday so I don't think it's up to us anymore."

"I'm sorry the first time you met her was by surprise."

"At least the hardest part is out of the way."

"Hardest part?" they asked in unison as she drew away from them.

"My father-"

"I might not have that much experience meeting the parents, but everything I learned today tells me that so long as I have your mother's approval, your father's will follow. I'm actually looking forward to meeting Lucius." She paused and turned her gaze to Theo. "Which means at some point, I would like to meet your uncle."

"I figured," he said with a smile. "I'll arrange it."

"Thank you," she replied and made her way to the kitchen for a drink. As they both absorbed her news, they told her about their day, thus beginning their nightly routine. As she listened to them both, her thoughts drifted to the upcoming dinner at Draco's parents house. She had never wanted an official introduction to family before, but now that it was planned, she was more than ready for it. She was just glad they were all on the same page.


	22. Three Words, Eight Letters

**TWENTY-TWO**

**Three Words, Eight Letters**

Hermione stood in front of the mirror for what she was sure was the tenth time, though if she was going by Draco's count, it was the thousandth. She smoothed down the front of her dress, reminding herself again that she needed to do something other than the thank you text she had sent Pansy when it had arrived via courier the day before. Aside from the dress, Pansy had included a few accessories and suggestions for hair and makeup. Hermione had spent the rest of the afternoon looking at tutorials to make sure she could replicate something Pansy would be proud of.

The dress itself was simple, but still elegant enough to be worthy of the Malfoy's presence. Draco and Theo had both done their best to assure her that Narcissa and Lucius would love her no matter what she wore and they weren't expecting her to dress to the nines. Regardless, she wanted to make a good impression. And the little black midi dress with a high scalloped neckline and little cap sleeves seemed to the do the trick. She attempted to tame her hair, but the best she could manage was to tie it off to one side. For makeup, she kept it simple with neutrals, mascara, and a pop of red for her lips.

And before she could second guess the bold color choice, Draco was dragging her away from the bathroom and out of the flat. "You look great. It's just dinner at my parent's place, Granger," he said as Theo handed her clutch. "And you've already met my mother."

"I know," Hermione said with a sigh as she stepped into the hall.

Draco grabbed her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles as Theo locked the door. "She's already told me she likes you and she can't wait to get to know more about you."

"I just want it to be perfect," she said, her gaze sliding to Theo. "For all of us."

"It will be," Theo assured her, his hand finding the small of her back as she turned to walk towards the lift.

* * *

Hermione had been fine at the start of the week. She had gotten along just fine with Narcissa and was looking forward to dinner, but as the week progressed, her anxiety rose. She knew it was natural, that, like Draco had said, officially meeting his parents meant this wasn't casual anymore. They weren't just flatmates that shared each other's beds. They weren't just three adults experimenting with their sexuality or having threesomes because they were taboo and trendy. What they had was significant. Real.

Yet, she continued to let her nerves get the best of her no matter how much either of them tried to calm her down. She urged them to distract her on the way there by talking about anything other than family. Mostly, they talked of work, something that didn't necessarily help either considering they were talking more to each other than to her. It was too easy for her to tune them out and let her anxiety commence.

As the town car approached the part of town that was reserved for magazine covers and Hollywood backdrops, Hermione's heart rate increased. "You've _got_ to be kidding me," she muttered as they pulled up to a gated entry.

"You knew I came from money."

"It's one thing to know and another to see it," she said, staring wide-eyed out the window as they passed mansion after mansion. She swallowed hard when she realized they were only getting larger as they drove further in.

As strange as it was to take in, nothing could compare to the sight of so many people being dropped off in the circular driveway with a fountain in the center. "I thought this was supposed to be just us?" Theo asked, his tone conveying the surprise they all felt.

"It was," Draco said with a frown as he got out and held out a hand for Hermione to take.

"What is it now?" she asked as Theo took his place behind her.

"Knowing my mother, it's probably some sort of charity thing."

"Narcissa does love to show off," Theo mused, offering his arm for Hermione to take.

Draco gave a half smile and then placed a warm hand on Hermione's other arm. "I'm sorry it won't be the dinner we thought."

She smiled back at him and took a deep breath. "Actually, this is doing wonders for my nerves. Playing hosts for whatever this is will keep the attention off of the woman dating their son, right?"

"Unless she plans on showing you off to everyone."

Hermione's head turned to sharply towards Theo she thought her neck might kink. "Not helping."

He grinned and gave a quick shrug. "My bad."

She rolled her eyes and looked from the house, a term she used loosely, to Draco. "Before we go in there, are we telling them it's just us or…"

Draco looked at her and then up at Theo who only shrugged again. "It's up to you, Mate. I'll understand if you're not ready for that yet."

"If it was just the dinner it was supposed to be, I would have," he said, a hint of bitterness in his tone. "But the last thing I need is for it to blow up in our faces." He raked a hand through his hair and smiled at the both of them. "The last thing I want to do is have the snobs in this social circle painting us in a negative light for something they know nothing about."

Hermione exchanged a glance with Theo and they both nodded. He leaned in to place a kiss to her cheek and then stepped away from her. "I agree. These people can be very two-faced," he added.

"Great. Can't wait to meet them all," Hermione muttered with a smirk as she took Draco's arm.

"I promise my mother isn't like that."

"And your father?" she asked.

He sighed and turned to give her a sly smile. "He's the worst gossip of them all." And with that, he began to walk towards the door, dragging her with him.

* * *

It wouldn't have mattered if they were there for five minutes or five years, Hermione knew the Malfoy Manor would always be impressive. The sheer amount of items handed down through the ages reminded her of museum. The history of Draco's lineage alone had her itching to learn more; to see just how far back he could trace his name. But that was something she would have to learn another day. One where Draco brought her here without a charity event going on and she was free to roam.

But that wasn't to say she didn't learn quite a lot that night. The more she milled around, striking up conversation with the other guests, she learned quite a bit about Draco and his parents. She learned that they came from _old_ money and that they had kept their wealth steadily increasing with each generation. It seemed that having an ambitious work ethic was a Malfoy family trait and it made Hermione smile. She also learned a bit about Narcissa as well. That she had come from a wealthy family of her own. Hermione filed that information away to ask Draco more about later. Just like with everything else new and exciting, once she had an in, she wanted to know everything there was about it.

However, nothing she learned could have prepared her for actually meeting his parents. Especially Lucius Malfoy. She had spotted him from across the room, mistaking that all too familiar platinum blonde hair for Draco. Had he not been standing next to her, she would have mistaken him easily. "Is that shade of hair color a family trait?" she asked, looking up at Draco.

He looked up, scanning the crowd and smirked when his eyes rested on what she presumed was his father. "For the males, yes," he replied.

"And the females?"

His face pinched slightly as he gave it some thought. "Not sure, really. Female offspring are hard to find in our lineage."

"Really? Have you ever thought to look into-"

Her inquisitive side was shut off as the Malfoy's stepped up to them to introduce themselves. Officially. "Mother, lovely to see you," Draco said, pulling her into a small embrace and kissing each of her cheeks. He simply inclined his head at his father and gestured between him and Hermione. "Father, this is Hermione. Hermione, this is my father, Lucius."

Hermione could only stare with wide eyes as he took her hand and brought it to his lips in greeting. "My wife has been telling me good things since her run in with you earlier this week. It is good to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Hermione said, awestruck by how similar his features were to Draco's. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you," he said, shifting his gaze behind her. "Nice to see you again, Theo. How are things?"

At that, Narcissa stepped forward and took Hermione's hand, leading her away. "Let's let them talk business for a minute, shall we?"

Hermione gave Theo and Draco a glance over her shoulder before she and Narcissa disappeared into the crowd. "This is quite the party," Hermione heard herself say, trying her hardest not to wince at how lame it sounded.

Narcissa's laugh was just as tinkling now as it was when she had heard it the first time. "My sincerest apologizes for the turn of events. I had forgotten I was hosting tonight when I invited you for dinner." Hermione bit her tongue at the urge to snort; Narcissa Malfoy didn't seem the sort to forget anything. "I assure you that next time it will just be dinner."

"Do you host a lot of these charity events often?"

"Once or twice a month," she replied as she grabbed two glasses from the tray of the nearest server, handing one of them to Hermione. "Lucius works for as a private investment banker, so I often find myself helping companies host their own events. Keeps me busy since Draco moved out."

The words that came pouring from her mouth were a surprise to both of them. "If you ever need some help, I have some free time on my hands."

Narcissa lit up and placed a hand on her forearm. "That would be splendid. In fact, I have another one coming up two weeks from now to raise money for the underprivileged."

"Sounds perfect," Hermione said, sipping at her glass, wishing she could down the whole thing. But as she looked around, her gaze settling on Draco and Theo across the room with Lucius, she felt a bit more at ease. Taking a deep breath, she asked Narcissa more about the current event and smiled at the acceptance Draco's mother gave her

* * *

She spent most of the evening with Narcissa, meeting a slew of people she would never remember the names of. A handful of times she crossed paths with either Draco or Theo, and once with Lucius. That conversation had only lasted a few minutes and when it was over, she wasn't sure if he liked her or if he thought she wasn't good enough for his son. Something she still hadn't decided on when she ran into him again after coming back from the loo.

"Draco tells me you were in publishing until recently."

She cleared her throat and gave a nod.

"Was that something you always wanted to do?"

Hermione mulled it over and sighed. "I always knew I wanted to do something with books. I wasn't expecting to get the job when I interviewed for it years ago since I had no experience at the time, but I did. I worked my way up to what I was when I left."

"Draco did tell me you spend more time reading than anyone he's ever seen. Has he told you about the Malfoy library?"

Hermione nearly forgot how to breathe. "The what?"

The way Lucius smiled was eerily similar to Draco's. He turned on his heel and beckoned her to follow with a nod of his head. "We have an entire wing of the house dedicated to library. Some of the works stored here are as old as the Malfoy line itself. Some of my ancestors had an affinity for collecting rare books as well. Some of which have been loaned out to various museums throughout time."

Hermione shivered and bit down on an undignified snort. If Draco had only told her about his family library from the get-go, she was pretty sure she would have jumped him right then and there. As it was, she followed Lucius with an excited bounce in her step. She tried to picture it, but short of the library in the Beast's castle from her favorite childhood movie, she couldn't fathom something of what he described.

And when he opened heavy wooden doors and gestured for her to step inside, Hermione nearly fainted.

The library was two stories high, had wall-to-wall shelves that were full, and several seating areas. There was one massive fireplace directly across from the doors and little glass cases interspersed that housed the rarest of the rare items.

She was ready to move in right then.

Lucius gave her a tour, one that left Hermione's head spinning as she salivated over how well organized the space was. "You may borrow whatever you'd like."

"Are you sure?" she asked, staring at him with childlike wonder.

"Call it intuition, but I believe my collection would be better suited in your care than in the hands of any collector." She returned his wry smile with a shy one and inclined her head in thanks. "Have you ever considered working for a book dealer?"

Hermione shook her head. "Never crossed my mind."

"I know a few. I could set up a meeting for you to discuss it with any one of them if you would like more information."

"That would be amazing, Mister Malfoy. Thank you."

"Lucius," he corrected, his features softening. "I'll send Draco to fetch you soon," he added and tipped his head before taking his leave.

Alone in the library, Hermione couldn't help but let out the little scream of excitement behind her hand as she warred with herself over where to start first.

* * *

Hermione wasn't sure how much time had passed from being show the library to the moment Theo and Draco found her sitting on a couch surrounded by dozens of books. However, judging from the sigh of relief from both of them as well as Theo's muttering of, "Should have known," she ascertained it had been a fair bit of time.

After a brief moment of expressing their mutual worry over her disappearance, they informed her that the event was winding down and it was time to go. With a heavy hearted sigh and a promise from Draco that they could come back another day, Hermione went about putting the books back in their proper places. All except for the one that she planned on taking home.

It wasn't until they were in the car after saying goodbye to their hosts from the evening that Hermione cracked open her book. "Oh no," Draco said, plucking it from her hands. "You just spent over an hour in a library unchaperoned. Your eyes need a break."

She snorted, but didn't make a move for the book. "Please, I could read for a week straight with barely more than a nap and I would be fine." They both grinned at her, but she looked at Draco with a narrowed gaze. "Why didn't you tell me about the library?"

"Because then you would have wanted to see it and that would have meant meeting my parents earlier."

She gave a nod and smiled at him. "Despite it not being the night we thought, I think it went well."

"I agree," Theo said, reaching for her hand from his place beside her. "They both adore you."

"Narcissa for sure, but I'm not sure exactly where I stand with Lucius. He doesn't hate me, but-"

"But nothing. That library is his pride and joy. He used to only let me in there on occasion and he _never_ left me in there by myself."

Hermione couldn't help but smirk a little at the jealousy in his tone. "I thought he said it was a Malfoy collection?"

"It is," Draco muttered. "Though I imagine I won't set foot it unsupervised until I'm the head of the family."

Hermione grabbed his hand with her free one and gave it a squeeze. "He even offered to set me up with a book dealer about a job."

Draco brought her hand up so he could brush his lips over the back of his hand. "He must like you if he's planning on introducing you to Mister Riddle. I've never seen my father cater to anyone the way he does to that man."

Hermione beamed at that, glad that she had the approval of both his parents and a potential job lined up. "Meeting my uncle will be far less fabulous," Theo said after a moment.

"I'm still looking forward to it," she said, giving his hand a light squeeze as well. "And eventually I'll reintroduce the both of you to my parents."

"Only when you're ready," Theo said, smiling softly at her.

"I'll never be ready to tell them," she admitted. "But it doesn't matter who knows what or what they feel about it." She took a deep breath and looked from Theo to Draco. "All that matters is what we feel and…" She took another deep and let the words come out. Words that she had been sitting on for a few weeks now. "I love you."

Draco's eyes widened and he tightened his grip on her hands. She turned her head back to Theo. "Both of you. You don't have to say it back, but I-"

"I love you too."

Hermione's grin widened as they both said it at the same time. She let out a breath of relief and pulled her hands from theirs in favor of moving to kiss them each in turn. As she thought it would, the kisses turned into heavy petting and by the time they arrived home, they were all in desperate need of release. And they spent the entire night chasing after it.


	23. Good Morning Indeed

**TWENTY-THREE**

**Good Morning Indeed**

Hermione woke to the sound of her own moan. It echoed around the room and seemed to go on forever. The fog of having just woken was hard to clear when mixed with the fog of arousal. Her fingers curled around the sheets beneath her as her body bowed, her head grinding against the pillows. Through her haze, she could feel fingers pressed inside her core, curling to hit the spot that always did the trick. There was also the unmistakable flicker of a tongue on her clit, but what pushed her over the edge so hard was that there were _two_ tongues.

When the last of her release began to subside, she propped herself up on her elbows and stared down the length of her body in wonder. Theo and Draco each took their time in pulling away from her and staring back up at her with matching sly smiles. Her lips parted to tell them good morning, but the only thing that came out was a shocked gasp. She watched, awestruck, as the pair leaned into one another. Their lips met and molded together; lips that were glistening with her slick. The moan that came from both of them sparked one of her own as she watched them make out, their tongues mingling in the space between their lips.

Her elbows came out from beneath her as they pulled away from one another in favor of kissing their way up her body. The sensations of both sets of lips hitting the same places in tandem made her core clench with desire and she shuddered. She cried out and ground her head against the pillows as they each took a nipple between their teeth and tugged. She whined as they released her almost immediately and continued their way up.

Draco was the first to claim her lips, kissing her in a way that left her breathless as her hands wrapped around their weeping cocks. When he drew away to breath, she barely had time to do so herself before Theo was pulling her towards him for a greeting of his own. As she continued to pump them both leisurely, their free hands drifted over her skin, making her shiver.

"Good fucking morning," she muttered under her breath as she panted for air.

"Good morning," they murmured back.

"Was that okay?" Theo asked, his lips pressing against her shoulder.

She nodded vigorously. "More than."

Draco groaned as her thumb swiped across the tip of his cock. "Theo's idea."

"A fantastic idea," she murmured, picking up the pace of her strokes just a touch.

"Then you'll love the next one," Theo rasped, giving her shoulder the gentlest of nips.

Hermione wasn't afforded any time to think about what he said before she felt herself being moved. Draco hooked his arms under hers from behind and hoisted her onto him, her back against his chest. She struggled against him for a moment as the position was new to her. "Relax, Hermione, you're not going to crush me," he stated, loosening his hold now that he was done moving.

"You're sure?"

"We're heavier than you are and we're constantly on top of you," Theo pointed out, coming to kneel in front of them.

"Yes, but-"

"You weigh nothing. In fact, maybe Theo should stop with the healthy foods."

Theo snorted. "Just because you could live on bread and cheese doesn't mean the rest of us can."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh as, oddly enough, the exchange between them did allow her to relax. As she did, they guided her to where they needed her to be. Her eyes widened significantly as Theo reached behind him to grab a bottle of lube they must have placed before they woke her. He poured a generous amount into his palm, closed the lid, and tossed it back to where he found it.

"Between the two of you, I think I'm wet enough, no?" she asked, her brow raised.

"Yes, but for what we're wanting, it's better safe than sorry," Draco said from behind her, his hand coming up to tweak her nipple.

She worried at her bottom lip as she watched Theo transfer some of the lubricant to his other hand and then reach for not only his cock, but Draco's as well. Draco hissed beneath her as Theo wrapped his hand around his length and coated him, smirking at Hermione as he continued to pump both of them.

"What are you planning?" she asked, her eyes glued to Theo's hands still on their cocks. In this position, she already could make an assumption, one that made her shiver with anticipation, but she still wanted to hear it.

"We want to take you together," Draco said. "But only if you're ready."

She nodded, a whimper tumbling from her lips as Theo released his own cock in favor of adding some of the lube to her core. "I'm ready," she whispered, her hips rising to chase after Theo's hand as it pulled away.

Theo's grin was sinful as he helped guide Draco's cock into her core. With the amount of lubricant, both natural and synthetic, there was absolutely no resistance as he buried himself inside of her. His arms moved down to hook under her knees and she moaned loud enough that she was sure every neighbor with a connecting wall to their flat could hear them as he hit deeper than ever before. A moan that seemed much quieter than the one Theo dragged out of her next.

She watched with utter fascination and a dash of disbelief that this was real life and not an x-rated dream as Theo leaned in. She could feel his tongue slide between her parted folds _and_ Draco's cock. Draco groaned right along with her and even slowed his pace so he could get the full effect of the sensations.

Something primal rolled through her as she moaned Theo's name at the same time as Draco. If Theo didn't hurry up and join them, the two of them were going to come. Theo seemed to sense that that was the case and pulled back, making a show of licking his lips as she shuffled closer.

Draco stilled inside of her and Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she realized just exactly how they intended to take her at the same time. "Just tell us if this is too much," Theo commanded as he lined himself up at her entrance. She nodded even though he wasn't looking at her and then gasped as she felt herself stretch enough to accommodate his cock along with Draco's.

She inhaled sharply as he slowly slid along Draco until he was buried to the hilt inside of her too. His gaze flickered up to hers as if to ask if she was okay and she nodded. " _Fuck_ ," she breathed, her hips rolling with the need for more. "Please… Oh god, _please_ -"

They both began to move and the sensation of both of them pumping away inside of her was out of this world. The friction was better than she could have ever imagined and she could feel her second release building up quickly. Their rhythm was far from in sync, but it felt good regardless. With an incoherent string of noise, Hermione came and neither of them slowed in the slightest, choosing to fuck her through her orgasm and draw it out rather than stop.

She had barely come down from that high before she felt them thrusting in perfect harmony with one another. No sooner did she finish one wave of pleasure did another slam into her with full force. Only this time, when she came, she wasn't alone. She could feel them pulsing inside of her, against each other, as they filled her with their own releases.

Hermione sighed heavily from the loss as they both slid out of her. As she settled in between them she decided she couldn't be bothered to care about the slick that slid from her body, coating her thighs and wetting the sheets beneath her. Instead, she chose to focus on the men at her side and the uncontrollable trembling of her body from the amount of pleasure they had brought her.

"We will be doing that again," she panted.

"Abos-fucking-lutely," Draco agreed while Theo only nodded from her other side.

Hermione smiled and closed her eyes, intending to move in a moment. But, after the workout she had been put through, her body decided to rest more instead. And when she woke a little later, she found she wasn't the only one who had passed out.

* * *

Hermione was shocked when she received an incoming call from an unknown number shortly after Draco and Theo parted for work that morning. She was even more shocked when it turned out to be Lucius. How he got her number was beyond her. She knew if Draco had given it to him, he would have mentioned it to her, but either way, she welcomed it. He gave her the business address of a Mister Tom Riddle and told her to be there at ten in the morning on Wednesday.

And, not one to ever be late, Hermione stood in front of the building with ten minutes to spare on the day of her meeting. It as a quaint little building, one that she was sure the city must have made every offer they could to buy, but was always refused. It was two stories high and sandwiched between two larger corporate style buildings. It was well kept, but definitely older. A lone sign hung from the edge of the patio with a book engraved in the weathered wood; her only indication it was the right spot. There wasn't even a name on the sign or the door.

She approached carefully and gave a few knocks. She gave a small gasp as the door tore away from the frame rather quickly, revealing a man in his mid-sixties to early seventies. He gave her a once over before locking his dark grey gaze with hers. "You're early." There was a moment of pause before he gave her a semblance of a smile and stepped back. "I find that to be a rare quality. Especially of you younger folks these days."

Hermione could help but smile as she stepped inside. "If I'm ever late, I assure you it's safe to assume the worst. I consider on time to be late."

This time, when she saw his face, there was a true smile on his lips. He gestured towards a chair near the front door and she sat. "Would you like some tea, Miss Granger?"

"If it's no trouble."

After disappearing through a narrow archway for a moment, he returned with a tray, complete with all the fixings for tea. They made their cups and then he began what she was sure was the interview despite how informal it seemed. "Lucius tells me you worked in publishing until recently."

She nodded and gave a brief rundown of her work experience, focusing on her time at Kingsley's company. "I know I wasn't the most qualified, but there wasn't ever a client or a task that I couldn't handle. I've always loved books and when that job came up, I took it seriously to find the best new literary works for the world to enjoy."

"May I ask why you left?"

"I quit," she stated, the words still feeling good to say even after the panic of being jobless had kicked in. "My best friend was getting married and I was her Maid of Honor. I put in the appropriate time off requests eight months prior and checked nearly every day to make sure they were still approved. The week leading up to it I was so busy preparing for my time away that I didn't check and on the day before I was to leave, I found they had been cancelled only four days prior."

His brows shot up and he shook his head. "I do not miss the days of working for others."

Hermione smiled and sipped at her tea. "Kingsley taught me a lot and I'm grateful for the opportunity he gave me, but I'm not going to miss out on life for a job." She cleared her throat and gave him a sheepish smile. "No offense."

"None taken, Miss Granger. In fact, I was glad that Lucius decided to send you my way. I was wary at first, considering he had only just met you, but I can see it now. If you would like, I can give you a tour as I tell you more about your position."

"I'm hired?" she asked, her voice more a squeak.

He inclined his head at her and stood. "I have never seen so much passion for the written word from anyone and I would be a fool to let you slip away. I need the help and you need the work. You start Monday."

He extended a hand and she stood to take it without hesitation, a large smile on her face. "Thank you, Mister Riddle."

"Riddle, please."

"I'll take that tour now," she said, putting her hand back at her side.

"Of course. Right this way."

And by the time Hermione was back in her car with Draco and Theo on a three-way call, she was gushing about her new job and excited about the opportunity that had landed in her lap.


	24. Surprise of a Lifetime

**TWENTY-FOUR**

**Surprise of a Lifetime**

Hermione sat in the small room, looking around at all the charts hanging on the wall as her legs bounced with nervous energy. She'd told herself she was fine, that she was still adjusting to the chemicals that Riddle used for restoration, but even after her fourth day feeling far too queasy, even she was beginning to rethink that notion. Which was how she had ended up at the clinic in the first place. Both Draco and Theo had offered to come with, but she waved them off, telling them not to worry. At best, she thought it might be a urinary tract infection. She had had one a few years back and it had presented the same way.

But still, there was always that lingering sense of "what ifs" that plagued her mind while she sat and waited for the doctor to come in and speak with her. The nurse had taken down a list of her symptoms and jotted down her vitals. She had even left a urine sample in the bathroom before her name was even called. She just had to remind herself that any moment now, the doctor would come in, tell her she was right on the nose, and send her off with a script for antibiotics.

Needless to say, she was wholly unprepared for her actual diagnosis.

Doctor McIntyre strode into the room with a bright smile on her lips as she hugged her tablet to her chest. "I see congratulations are in order Miss Granger."

Hermione went completely still in her seat as she stared back at the doctor with wide eyes. "What for?"

The doctor's expression faltered slightly, but her smile remained intact. "It's standard procedure that we run a pregnancy test when given a urine sample. Yours came up positive."

Hermione gnawed at her lower lip as her hands wrung themselves over and over in her lap. "I'm on the pill," she muttered lamely after a few moments. Realistically, she knew they had all been playing with fire over the past few months. She couldn't recall a single time either of them had suited up for their trysts and not once did they ever pull out. Not that that was all that effective either.

The doctor rested her tablet on the counter and sat, giving Hermione a warm smile. "When was your last menstrual cycle?"

She closed her eyes as she thought back. "A few weeks ago," she replied, looking back at the doctor. "Though it was much lighter than normal."

"When was the last normal one?"

It didn't take long for Hermione to bring that memory to the surface. It had been a few days after the wedding. She distinctly remembered it because both Draco and Theo had been far too adamant that so long as it didn't hurt her, they didn't care at all. And after a fair bit of convincing, she had caved.

"Three weeks before that," Hermione answered, biting the inside of her cheek in the hopes it would keep her blush at bay.

"There is a chance it was a false positive, but given your symptoms, I'm not ruling it out. It's also very common for women to continue to bleed during their pregnancy. We also bleed during implementation; something that is often mistaken for a lighter period." She made some notes on her tablet and then got to her feet. "You did test negative for a UTI and as far as the nausea goes, there isn't a lot I can prescribe for that. At least, not until I can rule out pregnancy. I would like to get you scheduled for an ultrasound as soon as possible."

Hermione nodded and wiped her palms on the thighs of her jeans. "I'll set that before I leave."

"I'll send Morgan back in to give you some pamphlets and other home remedy recommendations and then I'll see you for your ultrasound."

Hermione's lips parted to ask if she was allowed to bring someone with her for that appointment, but quickly clamped her lips shut. She wasn't in the mood to bring up her strange relationship; not with the information that had just been revealed to her. "Thank you."

She went through the motions of speaking with the nurse and then stopped at the reception desk to make the follow up appointment. The soonest she could get was two weeks away which gave her time for the news to sink in as well as figure out how she felt about it.

It wasn't until she was in the car getting ready to head home that she realized that Draco and Theo would want to know how her appointment went. Which meant she had to tell them. While they had solidified their relationship, they had only recently stated they loved one another. They hadn't spoken of next steps at all except for that one off-hand comment Draco made.

Thinking of how to break the news, Hermione found herself driving to the nearest pharmacy. She swallowed hard as she stared at the options for pregnancy tests while she clutched at her phone. Her mind was going numb from overthinking. She wanted to call her mother, but she didn't want to have _that_ conversation. She wanted to call Ginny, but she wasn't ready to answer all the questions she knew her friend would have. Most of all, she wanted to call Draco and Theo, but this wasn't news that she wanted to break over the phone.

"Hermione?"

The familiar voice of Harry startled her, making her jump as she turned to see him. He smiled at her as she shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose and shook his unruly hair from his face. She stepped forward and placed her arms around him, glad for the familiarity of his embrace.

"You okay?" he asked as she stepped back.

"I'm pregnant."

She hadn't meant to blurt it out, but once the words left her lips, she felt a bit better. It felt real. And oh so strange.

Harry's eyes widened significantly and his lips parted in surprise. "What?"

Hermione gave him the highlights of her day and when she was done, she sighed with relief.

"Are you happy about it?"

She gave a light shrug. "I'm not sure. I think I'm still in too much shock to feel one way or another." She tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled. "You're the first person I've told."

"No, I'm the fourth," he said with a shake of his head. "The first and second are going to be your boyfriends, Ginny will be third, and by default, I'll be fourth." They exchanged a small laugh. "She'll kill us both if she finds out you told me first."

The laugh she gave made her feel a dozen times better. "Good point."

He checked his watch and placed a hand on her arm. "Let me call my boss and tell him I'm taking the rest of the afternoon off. We can go get coffee or something."

"Maybe a bookstore?"

He smirked. "Of course," he said and then disappeared to make the call.

When he was gone, Hermione grabbed two boxes of a brand she recognized from commercials and then went about getting a few other items from the store. She was glad she had asked Riddle for the day off so she didn't have to worry about going back in that afternoon. Harry found her while she was still shopping.

"You didn't have to do that, Harry. I would have been fine."

"Sure, but I wouldn't have. I'm happy to provide a distraction no matter how small."

"Thank you," she said, pulling him into a hug again.

"You know the strangest part of this entire situation?" he asked, earning a hum in response from her. "Any other woman I know would be a complete wreck after finding out they're pregnant, knowing there's two potential fathers. But not you. I'm sure both of them will be over the moon."

Hermione swallowed hard and put her hand out onto the nearest shelf to steady herself. "I didn't even think about that," she groaned.

"Oh…" He gave her a nervous smile. "Fuck. Sorry, I-"

She shook her head and laughed slightly. "Obviously, I knew, but it didn't really sink in until you said it."

"It won't change anything, Hermione. It was clear to me the day I spent with them while you and Ginny were getting pampered that they loved you then."

Hearing that made her feel much better. "Thanks, Harry."

"Come on, let's get out of here before I put my other foot in my mouth."

With another laugh, they approached the register and made their way to his car, leaving hers behind with the promise to bring her back when they were done.

* * *

Hermione fiddled with the settings on the table for the tenth time while she waited for Draco and Theo. They had both already messaged her and said they were on their way home and it was only a matter of time before they walked through the door.

Running into Harry and spending the last few hours with him had done wonders for her nerves. Though it might have been their excursion at the bookstore where she nearly wiped out all the books on pregnancy that she could find. All of which were still in their bags and shoved underneath her bed.

She had had the last half hour to get takeout from one of their favorite places, set it all out on the table, and put together the reveal that she had in mind. It wasn't going to be a big ordeal, but she wanted _something_ to present to them other than just blurting out the words like she had done with Harry. So the first thing she had done upon arriving home was tearing into one box of tests she had purchased and using one of them. After seeing the confirmation of a positive result on it, she used a second one and cleaned them up. Once they were dry, she put them in a little gift box and then into a bag. That way, she had one for each of them when the time was right.

She sat at the table with a hand on her stomach, her eyes fixated there. Before she could even start to overthink, the door opened and in came her boyfriends. They finished their conversation, one that she knew from the snippets she caught were about work and then took turns greeting her hello when she met them halfway.

"Did you cook?" Theo asked, staring at the table set for three.

She snorted. "One decent pizza does not make me suitable to do anything more than use the microwave."

"You ordered an awful lot of food for someone who's been having trouble keeping stuff down recently," Draco observed as he cupped her face. "Everything go alright at the doctors?"

She leaned into his touch and nodded. "Turns out I don't know my body as well as I thought, but it's nothing more than a stomach bug," she assured him, pressing a kiss into his palm before turning away to pour the drinks. She stared longingly at the bottle as she stopped herself from pouring a third glass before taking the wine to them as they sat at the table. Draco narrowed his eyes at her as she turned to get herself a glass of water instead, but she ignored him. "Did you two have a good day at work?" she asked, desperately wanting the subject off of her.

She listened to the two of them talk as they all ate. She tried her best to stay present for the conversation, but her mind kept drifting to her plans for once they cleared the table. She was back to overthinking and wondering how they would react. The not knowing was staring to gnaw at her stomach and a wave of nausea slowly crept up on her. But she was able to keep it from manifesting and joined the conversation again as best she could.

After finishing their meal and clearing the table, the boys went and changed into something more comfortable for rest of the night. They decided on watching a movie and while they went to start it, she stole into her room to retrieve the little bags. Holding them behind her back, she took a deep breath and ventured back out into the living room. She stood in front of the coffee table.

"Before we put the movie on, there's something I need to tell both of you."

They exchanged a glance with one another before looking at her cautiously. Slowly, she brought the bags from behind her back and handed one to each of them. She sat on the edge of the coffee table with her elbows on her knees as she watched them pull out the little boxes. She had to force herself to breathe as they both removed the lids at the same time and then stared down at their hands for what felt like an eternity.

Theo was the first to look up at her and the expression on his face was one that made her heart race. "Is this real?" he asked.

She gave a nod, watching the array of emotions wash over him. Her eyes flickered over to Draco who had just looked up as well. "You're sure?"

She cleared her throat and gave them both a nod. "I found out at my appointment today. The doctor says there's a small chance it could be a false positive, but I have an ultrasound already scheduled two weeks from now. We'll find out for sure then." She swallowed hard and looked between the two of them. "I know we haven't talked about it and I'll understand if-"

"Granger," Draco interrupted, his voice tight. "If the rest of that sentence is to tell us we're free to leave, don't you _dare_ try to finish it."

Hermione clamped her mouth shut at that.

"How do _you_ feel about this?" Theo asked.

"I'm not sure," she said with a small sigh. "I don't think I've fully processed it yet." She thought for a moment and shrugged. "Honestly, I never really thought about kids nor have I ever been with anyone I actually cared about enough to think about it with." A wry smile tugged at her lips as she looked between them. "Until now."

It was Theo that got to his feet first, drawing her with him in the process and wrapping his arms around her. "I love you," he said, his lips against the crown of her head. "And we're in this together, no matter what. We'll figure it out, Hermione."

She tightened her hold around Theo and closed her eyes. Tears of relief slipped through her lashes at his words and more came at the feel of Draco pressing against her from behind. She moved one arm back to reach for him and relaxed into their hold.

"That goes for me too, Hermione," Draco breathed, pressing his lips against her shoulder. "Once the shock wears off, I'm sure we'll all have more to say, but just know that I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered back. "Both of you."

And just like that, wrapped up in their embrace, Hermione felt her fears and worries fading away. At that moment, she felt like she could take on the world so long as Theo and Draco remained at her side.


	25. The Secret's Out

**TWENTY-FIVE**

**The Secret's Out**

The numbness had remained present as the days slowly crept by, but as the day of the ultrasound approached, Hermione felt better about the whole thing. It was still hard to wrap her mind around; something she was sure would change once she was able to see it for herself. And keeping it a secret wasn't helping either. She was so used to telling Ginny immediately, but she wanted that visual confirmation from the doctor's office before she did.

Only two things were certain; Harry was doing a very good job at keeping his lips sealed because her conversations with Ginny were nothing out of the norm. And that Theo and Draco were very good at keeping their happiness at bay for her sake. She could tell they were far more excited about being parents and that they kept their feelings hidden when she was around. But they never made a big fuss or pushed her to accept something she wasn't ready to.

The only person she told was her boss, mostly because restoring books put her around some dangerous chemicals and she wanted him to be aware of her condition going forward. Riddle congratulated her, told her that so long as she used the protective equipment properly she shouldn't have an issue, but she was free to take as much time off or pass on a project if she needed to. Working with him was the complete opposite of a corporate job that she almost didn't know how to handle that either.

All three of them had taken off from work for her ultrasound and after taking their turns getting showered and dressed for the day, they decided to go out for breakfast. She had stared longingly at the morning drink list and sighed heavily when both of them reminded her that she was done drinking for at least a year, if not longer depending on if she chose to breast feed. Not willing to go down that road of conversation, mostly because she didn't want to think that far ahead, she changed the topic to a rare book Riddle had found that Lucius might be interested in.

Her nerves were completely frazzled by the time they got to the doctor's office. She was glad to be one of the first patients of the morning so that they didn't have to wait long. Once they were ushered into the ultrasound room, Theo and Draco took a stand on either side of her head while she reclined in the chair. After pushing her bottoms off enough for the technician's liking, the gel was applied, making Hermione hiss at how cold it was.

"Is it really that cold?" Draco asked.

She tipped her head back to glare at him, but smiled as she saw Theo shooting him a look. "I promise we don't keep it chilled on purpose," the tech said, offering Hermione a smile while she prepared her machine. When she applied the wand to Hermione's skin, she glanced up at the boys and then smiled again. "I don't mean to stare, but-"

"It's unusual," Hermione supplied with a warm smile in return. "I've been told I'm lucky." Saying that earned a hand on each of her shoulders from both of them.

Hermione watched in utter fascination as the tech pressed buttons and wondered what part of the black and white images was the life growing inside of her. After one particular image was taken, the tech hummed in self-approval and tapped the screen. "I know it doesn't look like much, but that's your baby. Eight weeks along is what I can tell, but I will consult with Doctor McIntyre before I say that definitively. We won't be able to hear a heartbeat until after twelve weeks, so potentially your next appointment."

She removed the wand from Hermione and wiped it off before cleaning up her belly.

"I'll leave the screen on so you can take a look, but go ahead and finish cleaning up. I'll be right back with the doctor and some print outs you can take with you," she added and then left.

"I hope they circle the damn thing, because I can't remember where she pointed to," Theo stated as he stepped closer to the screen.

"My thoughts exactly," Draco said, clapping him on the shoulder.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the both of them as she wiped off the rest of the gel and readjusted her clothes. She sat forward and leaned over the edge of the chair to point at the screen. "Here."

There was a moment of silence that passed as she sat there, staring at the screen with both of them by her side. For just a moment, the numbness began to fade away and her heart skipped a beat. Just as tears began to form in her eyes, the door opened again and Doctor McIntrye returned with the tech.

"I think it's safe to say it's confirmed. Everything looks good; I agree you're about eight weeks along. I'd like you to have a follow up ultrasound in a month from now so we can make sure everything is continuing to develop correctly. The reading material I sent you home with last time is what I would still recommend reading as well as whatever parenting books that catch your eye. Any questions?" she asked, looking at all three of them.

"I've read about the possibility of paternity tests before giving birth," Hermione said.

"Typically done around twenty-five to thirty weeks of development. I would be happy to discuss that when we get closer," she said, making a note in her chart.

"What about gender?" Theo asked.

"About the same time, though that procedure is far easier than paternity. We can have that answer the same time we test for paternity, though those results will be immediate whereas paternity will take a few weeks to get back."

"She can still have sex, right?" Draco asked. Hermione's entire body flamed as both her and Theo shot him a wide-eyed look of disbelief. He shrugged at both of them. "What? It's a valid question."

Doctor McIntyre laughed and nodded her head. "We encourage women to keep up their normal lives. There is nothing that proves sex does any harm. Most women tend to see an increase in pheromones and libido in their second trimester."

Hermione gave a nod and smiled. "Thank you, Doctor."

She nodded back. "Go ahead and make your appointment and I'll see you three in a month. If you have any questions, feel free to call us or make an additional appointment," she said before taking her leave.

The technician handed them an envelope with the sonogram photos and led them to the reception desk to make the follow up appointment. It was at Theo's car that they paused to look at her to make sure she was okay. She waved them both off and gave them a soft smile before reaching out to take their hands in hers.

"It's sinking in," she admitted.

"Maybe if you tell Ginny it'll become more real?" Theo suggested.

"Can we invite her and Harry over for dinner tonight?"

"Absolutely. Let's get you home and then I can head back out to the store to get something for tonight," Theo said, pulling her into a hug.

"I love you," she said to both of them as she felt Draco wrapping his arms around the both of them too.

When they broke away, Draco held the door open for her and she climbed into the back seat. As she listened to them argue over what to cook that night based on the wine they had at home, she pulled out the sonogram photos and stared at them. Her fingers brushed over the spot the technician had circled and for the first time, a rush of excitement coursed through her at the thought of bringing a new life into the world.

* * *

Ginny was one step away from throwing manners to the side and licking her plate clean. Hermione had only seen her do something like that once or twice when they were far younger, but she recognized the signs. It made her laugh to see it now as she sat back in her chair with her hands on her stomach, staring at her plate.

"Bloody hell, Theo. You can cook for us anytime."

Theo inclined his head as he sipped at his wine. "I hope you left room for dessert."

"I'll find room," she assured him and then looked at Hermione. "Seriously, I think it's time you locked them both in."

Hermione rolled her eyes and sipped at her water. "How's married life treating you?" Draco asked, changing the subject just enough. Hermione mouthed her thanks to him and Theo reached under the table to place a comforting hand on her knee.

After Ginny launched into how becoming a Potter had made her life both better and worse, mostly where the legalities of changing her name were concerned, she and Hermione moved into the living room while Harry helped Theo and Draco clean up. "Have you told your parents yet?" Ginny asked.

It took Hermione a moment to realize she was referring to the relationship and not the announcement she was close to making. "Not yet. I know I should, I'm just not ready for the outburst."

Ginny nodded and leaned back into the spot on the couch where Hermione usually sat. "But once they see how happy you are, they'll come around."

Hermione shrugged, not really ready to have that conversation. For whatever reason, it seemed harder to think about that than it was being pregnant. "Speaking of happy, there's something I have to tell you."

Ginny perked up immediately and turned to face her by criss-crossing her legs beneath her. "Did you lose your new job already?"

"No," Hermione said, giving her a look. "Why would you think that?"

She shrugged. "Did you-"

"Can you not guess?" Hermione interrupted. "Just give me a second, okay." Ginny sobered at that and gave a nod while Hermione took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

There was a brief moment of nothing before Ginny's face morphed from impassive to pure delight. And then came the shriek of pure joy Hermione knew she would hear. The next thing she knew, Ginny was launching herself forward and barreling into Hermione, wrapping her in a fierce hug. It took a moment for them both to calm down, but once the mix of happy tears began to subside, she went to grab the sonograms. They huddled together on the couch as they fawned over the photos until the boys persuaded them to swap them for dessert.

It wasn't long after that that Ginny and Harry took their leave for the night and Hermione found herself lying in bed between Theo and Draco; a huge grin on her face and the weight of the world gone from her shoulders.

"That went well," Theo said.

"Of all the people we eventually have to tell, her reaction was never the one I was worried about."

"If you want, we can tell my parents next. I'll tell them about the three of us too. That way we can see how they react before we tell yours," Draco suggested.

"Only if-"

"I'm sure," he interrupted, turning to place his hand on her stomach. "I've never been more sure of anything than this, Granger."

Theo mimicked him and Hermione smiled as they linked their fingers over her stomach. Ever since they had told her of their time together while she was away, they had been more affectionate towards each other both physically and emotionally. It was breathtaking to witness and she quite enjoyed walking in on them making out every once in awhile. Though she was always left wanting more because when they noticed her, they brought her in immediately; never just lettering her sit back and enjoy the show.

But nothing was better than quiet, intimate moments like this. And as the emotional highs of the day took their toll on her, she drifted to sleep with a smile on her face and their hands still intertwined on her belly.


	26. For Sale

**TWENTY-SIX**

**For Sale**

Hermione was beyond relieved when they pulled up to Draco's parents' mansion and saw there were no other cars in sight. Narcissa had kept her promise of sticking with an informal dinner, just the five of them. In fact, if anyone was in for a shock that night, it was Theo, Draco, and Narcissa. From the moment they met in the parlor room, Hermione launched into a dozen questions about the book Riddle had sent over to Lucius a few days prior. And before long, she found herself being escorted by the elder Malfoy to the library with a muttered, "Guess we won't be seeing them for awhile," from Theo as they went.

And it was mostly true as the pair had been late once a text from Draco had come through telling her that supper was ready. But she knew she was forgiven the moment she saw Draco and Theo already sitting with Narcissa. The moment they turned joyous smiles in her direction made it easier to relax for what was to come of the evening.

It was after dinner and dessert that the five of them found themselves back in the parlor; a favorite spot in the house that the couple had always loved entertaining in, especially after meals. There was already a tea tray there will five cups and saucers and all the fixings one could think of for tea.

"You really do have a lovely home, Narcissa," Hermione said as she stirred her honey and cream into her tea.

Narcissa smiled around the edge of her cup. "You haven't even seen a quarter of it."

The men snickered under their breath and Hermione rolled her eyes at them. "She's seen the only room she needs to, Mother."

"Then I suppose when you decide to buy a real house, you ought to make sure her library is equally spectacular."

Had Hermione not just swallowed her sip of tea, she was sure she would have choked at Narcissa's words. Any other person might have been fishing, but not her. She could tell from the look on his mother's face that she meant what she said and had no doubt that her son had found his forever in her.

"On that note, Mother," Draco said, his voice a little on the cautious side. "We do actually have some news to share with you."

Both Lucius and Narcissa exchanged glances at one another and then gazed upon her and Theo before resting their eyes on Draco.

"I should have told this to you when I introduced you to Hermione, but it's not just her that I'm seeing." He took a moment to inhale slowly and grabbed her hand as well as Theo's. "The three of us are seeing each other all at once and I couldn't be happier."

His parents continued their stare, unable to rest on one of them for longer than a second before finally turning to one another again. "Is that all?" Narcissa asked with a sweet smile as she sipped her tea again.

"We have always thought there was more to you and Theo than just close friends," Lucius said with a secretive smile of his own. "And Miss Granger compliments you both very well."

She could tell that she wasn't alone in the fact that she was holding a breath. "Y-you're not upset?" Draco breathed.

"The opposite, in fact. At least this way, there's a way for you to continue the Malfoy line."

Hermione couldn't stop her hand from coming to rest on her stomach, an action that was not unnoticed by anyone in the room. When she lifted her gaze, she saw Lucius staring at her with a quirked brow. "Actually, that might be happening sooner than you think," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The possibility that it might be Theo's biological child wasn't lost on anyone in the room after the last revelation, but no one seemed to care. Narcissa was on her feet in a moment and opening her arms for Hermione. She stood and embraced the woman, glad that she wasn't tackled this time. When she broke away, Lucius was there to give her a hug as well.

"Come here, Draco," Narcissa said, wrapping an arm around her and Lucius both. "And you too, Theo. We're all family here."

Hermione hadn't been expecting to end the night on such a high note, but now that it was, she couldn't have been happier. She just hoped that this was a sign of how her parents would take the news. Shoving that worry aside, she leaned back into both her men. When they broke apart, Narcissa made her sit next to her and began telling her her own experience with pregnancy while the men retreated elsewhere with a small nod as they went.

* * *

On Wednesday following the surprisingly amazing dinner at the Malfoy estate, Hermione found herself with a day off. Riddle had informed her the day before that he didn't need her to come in because he had a friend coming in from out of town and wouldn't be doing anything because of it. Draco had a meeting to attend to in the morning, but would be free by lunch and Theo told her the same. So when they arrived home and told her to meet them downstairs, she greeted them with kisses and then climbed into the front seat of Theo's car while Draco took the backseat.

The place they took her to lunch was nothing short of amazing as it usually was, but it was out of their usual comfort zone in terms of city. It was more on Ginny's side of town than theirs, but it was delicious nonetheless. They both stated they weren't ready to sit at home for the rest of the afternoon, so she joined them along for the ride and just enjoyed their company.

But as the surroundings became increasingly unfamiliar, Hermione made it clear she knew they were up to something. Both of them just gave her a shrug, but she saw the glimmer in their eyes and decided that whatever it was, if they were going to such lengths to surprise her, that it would be worth it in the end.

Whatever she had been thinking, the house they had pulled up to was not it. It was beautiful and she could tell that while it wasn't brand new, it was well loved and taken care of. The exterior was a muted teal with stark white trim and a dark grey door. The windows all had the same grey shutters on them and there was a porch surrounding the front. It was as if someone had made a large cottage and modernized it for the suburbs.

"What is this?" she asked, checking the front for a for sale sign, but there wasn't one. There was only a car in the driveway that Theo was blocking, but he made no attempt to move as he parked and they all got out.

"Just come take a look," Theo said, extending his hand as she walked around his car to take it.

They led her up the small set of stairs and in through the front door. There was a woman inside who looked so strikingly like Narcissa that it made Hermione look twice. "Hermione, this is my aunt Andromeda. Aunt Andi, this is Hermione."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said, extending her hand to Hermione. "My sister won't stop raving about the girl that finally got her son to stop philandering about."

Warmth spread up Hermione's neck as Draco mumbled something under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nice to meet you," she returned.

"Take a look around, I'll be outside," she said, leaving them alone.

"Guys, what-"

"The flat is cramped with the three of us there," Theo started immediately. "Honestly, it was cramped with just you and I there. And with a baby…"

"We need more space," Draco concluded, gesturing around the house. "Theo and I have been talking about this for awhile, but when my mother made the comment about the library, it felt right. I contacted Aunt Andi and she said this place had just become available. I saw it on Monday. They didn't even have time to put a sign out front and since the owners know my family, they gave me to the end of the week."

Hermione's head spun as she looked around the foyer. She liked the ability to see every room from the open floor plan. In fact, the more she looked around, the more she liked what she saw. Tears had gathered in her eyes when she looked at the two of them again and they each took one of her hands.

"There's four bedrooms with three and a half baths. There's even a pretty large attic to turn into a library with a reading nook for you," Theo said.

"It won't be the library of your dreams, but-"

"It's perfect," she interrupted, flinging herself at both of them. If they asked, she would blame the insane amount of tears on the hormones because she was sure she soaked their shirts in no time flat. She didn't even have it in her to argue about the fact that they were spending too much or hadn't discussed it with her first. They were doing this; all of them, together. There was a child on the way and they were investing in their future without having been prompted to do so.

"Come on, let's show you the rest of the house," Theo said, leading the way on his tour.

It was a lot for Hermione to take in and she was sure she missed more than half of what they pointed out, but by the time Andromeda met them back in the kitchen, she was finally out of tears. "What did you think?" she asked.

"It's lovely," Hermione said.

"It's always a bit harder to imagine living somewhere that doesn't have any of your things," said replied with a smile.

"You know we don't have nearly enough furniture for a place this size," Hermione said after a moment, looking around, still in awe.

"That's what Pansy will be for. Unless it has sentimental value, I was thinking we could just buy everything new and start out fresh. You can have the final say on the remodel," Draco said, a hand on her back.

"Remodel?" she questioned, looking around. "There isn't anything that needs to be redone."

He gave her that smile that said they would talk about it later and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "We're ready to put in an offer today, Granger. We just wanted you to see it and say yes first."

She looked back and forth between them and then nodded with an excited smile on her lips. "Yes!"

They both swooped in to drop a kiss on either of her cheeks and then turned to Draco's Aunt to fill out whatever paperwork was necessary. "I'll call you when I have some news," she told them. "And I know it's early, but congratulations," she added, hugging them each in turn.

When they got outside, Andromeda locked up behind them and waited as she took a picture. She sent it to Ginny along with the text, _Guess what?_

They were barely starting to pull away the response came back, making Hermione grin like a fool. _WHAT?! I'll call you after work and you better answer me on the first ring!_

"You're not mad?" Draco asked.

"Quite the opposite." She grinned at the both of them. "I plan on showing you both how happy you've made me when we get home."

"You better drive this thing like you stole it, Theo," Draco said, grinning back at her.

* * *

True to her word, the moment they walked in the door, they were on each other; clothes flying everywhere. They had barely made it to the bedroom before Hermione dropped to her knees in front of them, a hand pumping away at each of them while her mouth moved back and forth from one to the other. She did pause when she opened her eyes and saw them lip locked above her. A moan left her lips and she picked up her pace, making them each groan into each other's mouths. Fingers raked gently through her hair from them at different times, spurring her on even further.

The ache between her thighs was more intense than she had ever felt before. She wasn't sure if it was the hormones, the acceptance from his parents, the fact that they'd bought her a house, or the way Draco was leaving love bites on Theo's neck. Whatever it was, it was working and if they kept that up any longer, she was going to come just from hearing them above her.

It was Theo who gave the signs of coming first, so Hermione moved all of her attention to him. As her hand fell away from Draco, she groaned at the sight of Theo replacing it with his. He even stroked Draco's cock at the same pace she had been stroking his and it was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes and gave him her all.

Right as Theo tipped over the edge and poured himself down her throat, she heard the unmistakable sound of Draco beginning to come and was quick to switch gears. She hadn't even finished swallowing Theo before her mouth wrapped around Draco and a second later, she had a mouthful of both their releases in her mouth. She hummed around Draco and continued swallowing him down until there was nothing left but the aftertaste of both of them.

"Your turn," Draco said, hauling her to her feet.

He pulled her to the bed and helped her onto her back. He pulled her bottom right to the edge and then put the backs of her legs flush with his chest. He wasted no time in sliding into her core and she yelped at how divine it felt. Even Draco groaned from the tightness, but it did nothing to hinder his immediate thrusting. Already on the verge of her release, it didn't take more than a few powerful strokes and swipes of his thumb to her clit to have her writhe in a keening mess against the bedding.

But he never stopped. He only increased his pace and pushed forward to hit deeper than she thought possible, though she barely noticed as her second release slammed into her as fast as Draco had. His own hips stuttered and he game with a series of groans. But she had hardly drawn one solid breath before Theo was there, taking his place. His speed was a bit slower, but it appeared that so long as they kept this up, she had an unlimited number of orgasms waiting in the wings.

After Theo came, it appeared that they were both going to need a minute if she wanted more. Which worked out as she told them the pleasure was starting to be too much for her. So instead, they cleaned up and then curled up on the bed for a nap. Hermione hadn't even recalled closing her eyes, but the next thing she knew, Ginny was calling and demanding every last detail about her new house.


	27. Saints and Sinners

**TWENTY-SEVEN**

**Saints and Sinners**

Hermione knew it was the universe's way of saying she needed to tell her parents when her mother called her the day after being shown the house. After a very long conversation about nothing Hermione really paid much attention to, they agreed to have dinner the following Saturday at their usual restaurant. For the first time, she asked her mother if she could bring Draco and Theo. There had been a slight pause, but she got the all clear to do so.

Whether or not her mother suspected anything was a different story, one that she couldn't dwell on long as she went back to work.

The week leading up to it went about like normal. Theo and Draco both kept her apprise of what was going on with the house. From what they said, everything was going about how they thought it would and if that continued to be the case, they would have the keys sometime that week. The fact that she not only might officially be a homeowner, but she might get to hear her baby's heartbeat was enough to make the days go by incredibly fast yet somehow painfully slow.

She had even been in touch with Pansy more than a few times, already discussing what she might want to do. She'd already had a list of what Draco and Theo wanted as well and knew their tastes enough to balance them with Hermione's. According to Pansy, Andromeda had already taken her over there to see the place and get all the reference photos she could possibly need. They'd even had a date set up for the weekend after her ultrasound where she and Ginny would be meeting up with Pansy to make a girl's night out of it.

Hermione was floored at how, despite some large, unexpected turns, her life was the best it had ever been. Even with the growing anxiety as dinner with her parents came fast approaching, she knew that even if they weren't fully supportive, she had enough positivity in those that did support them that it wouldn't be devastating as she once had thought it might be.

And as strange as it was to think about, Hermione had found herself walking past a boutique one day while she fetched coffee for her and Riddle. In the window there was a pale green and yellow baby blanket draped over a crib that had a little otter stitched onto one side. Seeing it made her heart drop into her stomach and tears to cloud her vision. She had gone inside and purchased it right away only to stash it in her closet when she got home later that afternoon.

When the day came to have dinner with her parents, Hermione had so much nervous energy that she woke up before the sun and started cleaning the entire apartment. For the most part they let her be, knowing it was better to just let her work it out the way she needed to. But as it got worse and led to her snapping at them as Theo started to make lunch, he had stopped puttering around in the kitchen, slung her over his shoulder, and encouraged her to take her frustrations out on him and Draco in the bedroom until she calmed down.

Barbaric as the tactic might have been, Hermione admitted that it worked and thanked them both before slipping away to take a shower. It had even worked so well that by the time they were headed out for the restaurant for dinner, Hermione was far calmer than she ever thought she would be.

"You don't have to tell them anything you don't want to," Theo said from beside her in the front seat.

"I know," she replied, turning so she could see both of them. "I want to tell them everything, I just wish it wasn't all at once."

"They know we've been living together for awhile," Draco said, a smile on his face as he leaned against her seat. "So it won't be a big leap when you tell them we're moving into a house."

"Which will help segway into why you're coming with us and not keeping your flat," Theo said.

She nodded, playing out all the different ways she imagined her parents taking the news. They had all been spoiled by the acceptance Lucius and Narcissa and lent them. She knew better than to ever hope her parents, especially her father, would be that open, but there was still a chance that her mother would at least see that she was happy. She just hoped that her happiness was enough for them to not cause a scene.

As they joined her parents at their usual table, she watched with bated breath as Draco and Theo took turns shaking hands with her father and then placing kisses on her mother's cheek. After her own greetings, she took the chair they held out for her between them and began to peruse the menu. So far, the most of the awkwardness was coming from her and the more Draco engaged in the topic of sports, the more she relaxed.

As the drinks arrived, Hermione sipped at her soda, pretending there was some sort of alcohol mixed in to give her strength for the rest of the meal. A feeling that continued to wear on her once they began eating. Especially when her father asked, "How's the job search?"

She blinked at him a few times; she was pretty sure she had told him about working for Riddle, but with everything going on… "I thought I told you I got a job?"

"Yes, the book dealer," Russell said with a tight smile. "I assumed that was a more of a part time hobby while you continued to look for something else. Something more suited to the degree we spent a great deal of money on not that long ago."

Hermione grimaced at that; hid attitude didn't bode well for the rest of the night's upcoming topics. "It's not just a hobby," she said, though it came out softer than she wanted it to. "And I've been far happier there than I was ever was at the publishing house."

"Yes, but you can't expect to live off that kind of income," he replied, sitting at his beer. He looked at Theo and Draco before adding, "Both of them have stable careers that have set them up for life. Don't you want that for yourself too?"

"Of course I do, I just-"

"What is it you do again? Something with banking?" he asked, looking at Theo.

"A banking investment firm," he replied. "My father's company that was handed to me when passed on. My uncle still has the largest share and he's been helping me learn the ropes."

"And you went to school for that?"

"Not at first," he admitted. "I originally started at culinary school, but when my uncle needed help and my cousins showed no interest, I switched gears."

Russell nodded in approval and turned to look at Draco. "And you own vineyards?"

"Some I own with my father and a friend, but yes," Draco said, not divulging anything else. "I would be more than happy to send over as much wine and spirts and you can handle," he added upon seeing her mother's interest pique.

"I'll never say no to that kind of offer," she said with a smile.

Russell waved his hand over his plate and gave Hermione that hardened stare she was so used to seeing from him. "You're not in your early twenties anymore, Mione. You should have a stable career you can move up the ranks in. And by now you should have already invested in some real property and stopped wasting money on that flat every month."

She knew that was the perfect in and she took it. "Actually, we won't be living in the flat much longer."

Both her mother and father paused from taking the bite they had secured with their forks and exchanged a glance. "We?" Jean asked, her eyes flickering over the three of them.

If she held back any longer, she was going to throw up all over the table. "The three of us have decided that the flat is getting a little cramped with the three of us there, so they surprised me with a house."

Jean's jaw dropped in shock, but Russell's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean they _surprised_ you with a house?"

"My name will be on the deed with theirs, but the two of them are planning on buying it outright. We should be getting the keys this upcoming week."

Russell set his fork down and fixed her with a hard expression. "This isn't exactly what I was referring to, Hermione. What do you think will happen when they meet someone? Maybe start families of their own. You don't really think you'll all still-"

She couldn't help but dissolve into a fit of nervous laughter. It only lasted a few moments, but when she was done, she shook her head and stared back at her father. "We're not moving there as roommates, Dad. We haven't been just friends for awhile now."

"What-"

"Last time we all had dinner together, we had just started seeing each other. All of us. I didn't say anything because it was so new and we didn't know what would come of it, but I love them," she said, a shiver erupting down her spine from having finally said it aloud to her parents. "I love them enough to know that we're in this for the long haul. The next step for us is the house and-"

Russell's fist slamming into the table made everyone jump. "Have you lost your bloody mind?" he hissed.

"Dad-"

"I told you nothing could would come of living with someone of the opposite gender. It isn't proper or moral and look what happened."

"I know it's unconventional, but-"

"It's wrong," he said, pushing his plate away and rising from the table. "I thought you were the brightest of them all, Hermione. You have so much potential and you're squandering it all away just because these two have money to support you. I thought you were better than a common harlot."

And with that, he stormed away from the table without so much as a glance backwards at them.

Hermione found it hard to breathe as she turned teary eyes towards her mother. Jean was staring at her as if she were a stranger, but after a moment of silence, she got to her feet and walked through the restaurant after her husband.

Her eyes lowered to her plate, but she saw nothing as tears slipped down her cheeks. She bit her lip to keep the sobs at bay, but it quivered between her teeth. She felt a hand in hers and then she was being whisked away. She didn't stop until they were in the parking lot, away from prying eyes and she was squished between two masculine forms.

"I didn't even get to tell them the rest," she whispered.

"I know," Theo whispered as he kissed her temple and brushed away tears with his thumb.

"He probably would have gone into cardiac arrest."

" _Draco_!" Theo hissed.

Hermione let out a choked laugh at the smacking sound of Theo's hand on Draco's arm followed by a small, "Ow."

"Come on, let's get you home, Theo said, opening the back seat and helping her into it.

Her eyes went wide as she watched him climb in after her. "You're letting _him_ drive?"

Draco winked at her before taking the keys from Theo and walking around to take the seat behind the wheel. She groaned as he started the car, but Theo only laughed and pulled her over his lap and held her. She clung to him the whole way home as he wiped away her tears, though she wasn't sure if they were from her father's reaction or from the fear of Draco's driving.

Needing a minute to herself when they got home, she excused herself to the bathroom. She hadn't even taken off her shoes by the front door and it wasn't until she went to pull up her dress that she realized her purse was still on her shoulder. A fresh wave of tears slid from her eyes as she saw the envelope with the sonograms inside. She had been hoping to show them off tonight as she had with Narcissa and Lucius. Now, looking at them made her father's words repeat in her mind and she winced as she sat on the edge of the tub.

It took several minutes for her to pull herself together and leave the bathroom, but when she did, she found only Theo waiting for her in their room. "Where's Draco?"

"Said since we didn't get eat much, he was going to go get a bunch of your favorites," he said, reaching for her to pull her close. "You don't have to hide how much you're hurting, Hermione. We're here for you no matter what."

She had planned on keeping herself together, to not let them see her fall apart, but his arms around her made her feel as safe as his words and before she knew it, she was sobbing into his dress shirt. He moved them to the bed where he drew her over his lap after sitting against the headboard. He whispered sweet nothings against the crown of her head and let his hands roam to comfort her even more.

She was all sobbed out when Draco returned and after putting a few things away that he couldn't leave out, he joined them on the bed. With the two of them sitting side-by-side and her draped across their laps, she felt the pieces falling into place again. And later that night, after eating a bit of food, but mostly chocolate, she fell asleep between them with a smile on her face.


	28. Highs and Lows

**TWENTY-EIGHT**

**Highs and Lows**

The morning of her next ultrasound appointment, Draco got the call from his aunt about the house. They had finished breakfast and were ready for the day; Hermione just having settled into one of her pregnancy books when Draco's phone sounded from his spot on the chair. She held her book in her lap with a finger curled around the edge as she stared at him, her heart racing at the way his face lit up.

"Thank you, Aunt Andi. We'll be right over," he said and beamed at her and Theo over her shoulder as he bent over the back of the couch by her head. "Everything's done," he told them. "We just need to go to her office, sign on the dotted line, and we'll get the keys."

"Think we have enough time before the appointment?" Theo asked.

"Appointment isn't until two, right?" Hermione nodded when he quirked a brow at her for confirmation. "It's only eleven. We should have plenty of time to do this and see the house beforehand."

Hermione got to her feet, placing the book on the coffee table as she rose. "Well come on you two, what are we waiting for?" She was already at the door, slipping into her flats and grabbing her purse by the time Draco even got out of his chair.

They both chuckled, but didn't say anything else as they caught up to her in the hall and locked the door before heading to the lift and piling into the car. It was the first bit of good news since the disaster that was the dinner with her parents. They had done a great job at lending their shoulders to cry on and attempting to keep her from falling into a void of depression, but it still hurt.

She had even tried to reach out to her parents on Sunday evening, but there wasn't any answer. She knew they probably were watching her name flash across the screen of their phones until the voicemail picked up, but she took the fact that they didn't outright reject her as a good sign. Even the message she had left them was laced with hope, but she still hadn't heard back from them.

She knew she didn't _need_ her parents' approval to be with them, but having it would have made the experience of being pregnant and being a first time homeowner a lot better. She didn't want them to find out through the grapevine that they were going to be grandparents, but if they didn't return her calls, that was how it had to be. She had no plans to break the news in a message she was sure they weren't going to listen to or a text.

She sat in the backseat, half listening to them talk about a variety of topics and half concentrating on the mental list of questions she had for Doctor McIntyre. It was the only way she could get her nerves to settle so that when they arrived at his aunt's office, she wasn't bursting with nervous energy.

She greeted them each with hugs and then shook her head at Hermione as her gaze swept down to her stomach and back. "How far along are you?"

"Twelve weeks in a few days," she replied, hand on her stomach.

Andromeda whistled. "Almost out of your first trimester. When I was pregnant with Draco's cousin, Nymphadora, I was already showing," she said with a laugh as she turned to her desk. "You're going to be one of those girls who doesn't start to show until you're about to pop."

Hermione's fingers twitched as her smile froze in place. Slowly, she let her gaze drop down and she felt an inkling of panic. She had been obsessively checking for signs of growth; taking pictures, measuring, everything, but there hadn't been much. It had been a growing concern of hers, one that her books said should be brought to the doctor's attention, but it was common for women to lose weight due to morning sickness and aversion to foods. But even her days of being sick had dwindled down.

Theo's hand on the small of her back pulled her from her thoughts as he led her to a chair. She sat there, watching the three of them going over the fine print and making sure everything was in perfect order. She signed where she needed to and within a half an hour, she was holding the keys to their brand new house. Even with the metal pressed tight to her palm, it was hard to wrap her mind around. And it didn't get any less surreal as Theo pulled into the driveway for the first time.

At Draco's insistence, they paused on the walkway leading to the stairs attached to the porch and took a selfie with her in the middle of them, holding up the keys. Once they had more than enough to choose for social media later that day, they walked up to the door and let her do the honors. She held her breath without realizing as she slotted the key in the lock and turned it, releasing it only once she crossed the threshold.

"Welcome home," Theo murmured, looping an arm around her waist.

It was easier to picture it as theirs now that the previous owners had taken all of their belongings out. In a daze, she walked from room to room, trying to imagine the things she and Pansy had talked about so far. It was when she entered the room directly left of the stairs on the second floor that it sunk in. That this was their house. That soon, this would be their child's room. That even sooner they would be seeing their child on the ultrasound later that afternoon and potentially hearing a heartbeat for the first time.

Draco and Theo found her at the same time. They said nothing as they sat beside her weeping form in the center of the room. It wasn't until they calmed down that they started to fill her in on what was next as far as the house and the flat.

"Pansy is sending her people out on Monday to get started on all the work we want finished. She estimates two to three weeks provided the contractor doesn't find anything bad," Draco said.

From what she recalled of their plans, it was just the appliances in the kitchen and the fixtures in the bathrooms getting an upgrade to be brand new and some paint in most of the rooms. The rest were just being furnished and a lot could be done at the same time. During that time, they would be packing up the flat so they could move the minute the house was ready.

"Come on, we should start heading that way," Theo said, getting to his feet before extending a hand and help her up to.

"Can we stop for a smoothie?" she asked, giving him a look she knew would get her whatever she wanted.

He and Draco both chuckled as they made their way back to the car. "I believe we have plenty of time," Draco replied.

Hermione smiled as she locked the door behind them. They all gave one last look and a combined sigh of happiness before Theo began driving away so they could move on to the next portion of their day.

* * *

The last time Hermione had been sitting in that chair, Theo and Draco behind her on either side, cold gel smeared about her belly, she had been nervous and excited. Even so, it was the technician's kind smile and heartfelt words that helped her relax. Only this time, as the tech moved the wand over her skin, there was nothing but a crease to her forehead and a tightness to her lips.

Hermione was too lost looking at the screen, concentrating on seeing anything reminiscent of what she saw a few weeks back to notice the tech at first. But as the minutes ticked by, silence thickening around them, her senses began to pick up on the fact that something was wrong. And she could tell from the way Draco and Theo's fingers dug into her shoulders that they sensed it too.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to ask, "Is everything okay?"

The tech cleared her throat and gave them a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's probably nothing," she said, her words making Hermione's panic reach unfathomable heights. "Sometimes, especially in the early stages, the fetus will turn in the uterus and be hard to pick up from an external ultrasound. Let me consult with Doctor McIntrye and have her determine how we proceed," she said, placing a hand on Hermione's forearm. "I'll be right back."

The moment the door closed, Draco and Theo were moving down to her side so that they could face her and took her hands in theirs. "Don't even start thinking the worst," Draco said.

She squeezed his hand to the point where she saw him grimace from having gone too hard. "How can I not?" she asked, panic in her voice. "There was nothing on that screen."

"You don't know that," Theo argued, his thumb swiping across her knuckles. "Just hold off until we hear from the doctor, okay?"

She tried to take deep breaths, but she could feel it deep within her gut. And as she tried to pinpoint when her body decided it didn't want to play hostess anymore, Doctor McIntrye and the tech returned. "Nice to see you again, Hermione," she said with a smile, nodding towards Draco and Theo as they returned to their spots behind her head.

"You too, Doctor," she whispered, trying to keep herself from crying as she looked over the images the tech had taken previously.

After a moment, her smile faded too only to be replaced by a somber expression. "Have you had any spotting since your last visit?"

"No."

"Any abnormal pain or anything out of the ordinary?" There was a hesitation before asking, "Possibly a decrease in pregnancy symptoms?"

Hermione could only stare at her for a moment before giving the briefest of nods. With numbness creeping up as a safeguard to her heart, she repeated her thoughts from earlier when Andromeda had commented on her appearance. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember a time of any pain or bleeding that would be associated with a miscarriage. Everything had been fairly normal with the exception of her loss of symptoms.

"What Dana said is correct, sometimes the fetus is able to hide from external ultrasounds. I would like to do an internal one now if you're up for it. Just to be sure."

"Yes," Hermione said, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears.

"Go ahead and clean off the gel," the doctor said as the tech got out a gown and some towels. "And when you're finished, get changed and let us know you're ready." She gave them all a smile before the two of them took their leave.

Draco and Theo didn't say anything after she dismissed their attempts to help clean her up. She went through the motions and laid back with her eyes closed after alerting Dana she was ready again. She grabbed what Hermione knew to be the internal wand and prepared it for insertion. She handed it to Hermione and looked away. After a wince at how cold the lube was, she made sure it was all the way in and moved her hands so Dana could take over.

The process was short and Dana was soon leaving them alone again so she could clean and redress. After what felt like a very long time, her and the doctor came back into the room for what Hermione was sure was the last time. Judging by the expressions they both wore, ones that she recognized were masks developed with years of giving bad news, she knew exactly what it was they were going to say.

"Hermione, this is the part of my job that I hate the most, but I believe you had a miscarriage. Your urine sample gave us a positive pregnancy test, but that is still possible since your hormone levels will be off for a few weeks. There isn't any fetal tissue that we can detect. It is rare, but there is a type of miscarriage called a missed miscarriage which is what I believe happened. It's where your body completely absorbs the fetus instead of dispelling it. There's no pain or bleeding associated with it which is why I am confident in diagnosing that phenomenon. The next step, if you want more confirmation, is a D&C. I am leaving that decision up to you as normally we would still see fetal tissue and want it removed before it causes problems. That isn't the case with you, but for peace of mind, I would be happy to fit one in as soon as possible."

Hermione's head was spinning as the information tried to absorb, but she didn't have the mental strength to let it. Instead, she just gave a small shake of her head. "I don't think it necessary," she whispered.

Doctor McIntyre nodded her head. "I would like to see you back in two weeks for another ultrasound as well as a test." She moved to place her hand on Hermione's forearm. "It was nothing you did or didn't do that caused this, Hermione. Sometimes nature runs its course differently than we expected it to."

"Thank you."

She wasted no time in following them out of the room and to the reception desk. She wanted to keep going, but stopped long enough to make the appointment. She didn't speak to Draco or Theo on the way home, instead, sitting in the seat behind Theo and staring out the window. When they got home, she went into her room and shut the door. She knew it was rude; that they were grieving too, but she needed time to herself. She didn't have it in her to be strong for herself let alone all three of them.

She wasn't sure how long she had laid there, staring at the ceiling with a blank mind and a broken heart, but at some point, she had fallen asleep. When she opened her eyes next, Draco and Theo were curled up on either side of her. She was careful not to wake them as she went to use the bathroom, but when she returned, they were both awake.

"You should take tomorrow off," Theo suggested as she crawled back into bed between them.

She shook her head and stared back up at the ceiling. "I think working is better."

"Hermione-"

"I'm fine," she interrupted, her voice a bit harsher than she meant it to be. She grabbed both of their hands and forced herself to relax. "It wasn't meant to be," she murmured as she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep again.

She just wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more; them or herself.


	29. Fine

**TWENTY-NINE**

**Fine**

Hermione had gone to work the next morning after reassuring both of them that she was fine. She could tell from the looks in their eyes that they didn't believe her one bit, but they didn't argue with her about it. Riddle could tell that something was up, but he didn't push. He simply let her work in peace and didn't offer anything more than a friendly hand on the shoulder when she finally told him the truth. The words had felt heavy on her tongue, but still no tears came.

Between work, the plans for the house, and packing up the flat, each day blurred into the next faster than the one before. She was glad for all the things to keep her mind occupied, but she saw the worry in Theo and Draco's eyes whenever they looked at her. She knew they were the reason Ginny had found out and that their intention was to have her help her best friend deal with it, but she wouldn't talk to her either. Not about feelings anyway. She just went about her day to day life being numb from the inside out.

The only thing she did feel was a twinge of guilt. Guilt that Draco and Theo were hurting too, but emotionally she couldn't be there to support them. It was driving a rift between them and her, but after awhile, she was able to shove the guilt down right alongside with her other emotions she wasn't ready to deal with. And it certainly didn't help that the more they treated her like glass, the harder she fought to prove to them that she wasn't.

For the first time in weeks, as Hermione got into her car after helping Riddle close up for the weekend, she didn't want to go home. She just sat behind the steering wheel staring out the windshield before finally deciding what she needed and getting on the road to Ginny's.

Her and Harry had just gotten home when she knocked on the door, but Harry was all for the two of them having a girl's night out. As the couple went upstairs to spend a few minutes alone together, Hermione sat on the couch in the living room and debated whether or not she should call versus send a text. Ultimately it was decided for her as Draco's name flashed across her screen.

"Blaise is in town again and Theo thought it would be nice to have him over for dinner tonight."

"You don't have to ask for my permission to have a friend over, Draco."

"I know that. I'm just being polite."

There was a moment of silence before she sighed slightly. "Well I'm at Ginny's. We're going out to grab some dinner and a few drinks. I might end up passing out on her couch."

"Hermione-"

The use of her given name sounded strange from him and the worry in his voice made her tense. "You're hanging out with your best friends and I'm hanging out with mine. I was just about to text you both when you called me first."

Another bout of silence before he inhaled deeply. "Take a cab, please. Or I can send a car for you."

"We'll be fine, Draco."

"Humor me then," he said, his voice sounded slightly distorted beneath the sounds of him pressing buttons. "I sent you the number for my driver. Just call him if either one of you is unfit to get behind the wheel."

"Thank you."

"I'll let Theo know it'll just be the three of us then."

"Tell him I said hello as well. I'll let you know if I'm coming home tonight or not later."

"We love you."

"I love you both too," she said, her voice fading just a little as she pulled the phone away from her ear and pressed the button to end the call. It wasn't long before Ginny was ready to go and after a prolonged goodbye to her husband, they were out the door and piling into Ginny's car.

* * *

Hermione saw the flicker of Ginny's gaze and the way her lips pressed tight into a thin line as she ordered another drink. Truth be told, she had lost track of what number she was on. Between the mixed drinks and the shots, it was enough to make her quite relaxed, but not enough to remove her inhibitions or emotional control completely. But it was bordering that thin line.

"What?" she asked as the waiter walked away, taking a few empty glasses with him.

Ginny held her gaze for a moment and then shrugged. "Nothing," she replied, fingers tapping on her own glass.

"I'm fine," she said, flashing an over the top smile.

Ginny fixed her with a hard stare as she took a drink of her soda through her straw. "I can see that."

Hermione rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "If you want to call it a night, you're free to go."

"I'm not leaving you when you're like this."

"I'm-"

"Fine, yes," Ginny snapped. "So you've said." She sighed deeply and her gaze softened after a moment. "Have you spoken to your parents at all since you told them?"

"Nope," Hermione replied, thanking the waiter with a smile as he brought her drink over.

"Did they know?"

Hermione paused as she lifted the glass to her mouth. "How's work going for you?" she asked, changing the subject. "Last I heard you were up for a promotion?"

Ginny took the hint and let the subject drop. Hermione relaxed even further as she listened to her friend speak about her job. The distraction, though forced, was exactly what she needed. And it seemed to do the trick because soon Ginny was ordering another shot for the both of them. For a small bit of time, things started to feel normal again. So much so, that Hermione squirmed in her seat for as long as she could to avoid going to the bathroom and ruining it. But when her bladder seemed fit to burst, she excused herself and practically ran to the loo.

As her bladder emptied, she checked her phone. It was harder to do that she remembered in this state. Her fingers felt tingly and there were times when she didn't feel as though she was holding it at all. The screen felt as bright as the sun and she had to squint to see it. There were a few messages from Draco and Theo in their group chat and she opened, them, but was quick to give up when she couldn't get the words to stop jumbling together.

She set her phone on top the dispenser and then gathered more tissue than she would ever need. As she leaned forward to pull her knickers back up, she paused. Her gaze was fixed on the liner and the longer she stared at the pinkish stains, the more she trembled. She swallowed hard and let go of her clothes in favor of taking a bit more tissue and wiping again. This time, instead of letting it go, she looked at it. As someone nearing her thirties, she was no stranger to this event, but seeing it now was jarring.

She dropped it into the bowl as if it were made of fire, yanked up knickers back up and flushed. After a quick wash of her hands, she returned to the table and slid back into her seat. "Can I stay at your place?" she asked, signaling the waiter for the tab.

Ginny grinned and gave her a light nod. "Harry said he was already making up the couch."

Hermione smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She dropped her gaze to glass of her last drink, watching as the ice melted drip by drip. She could feel the tears beginning to form and she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. The sooner they could get back to Ginny's the sooner she could curl up with the bottle of tequila and watch whatever was on TV until she passed out. The best way to keep herself numb was to drink it away.

Ginny's brow furrowed as she noticed the change in Hermione, but she didn't say anything. She simply picked up the tab and led her out to the car. Music played softly as Hermione held tight to her purse in her lap and laid her head against the window pane. By the time they had reached Ginny's, her bladder was full again and when they parked, she made a mad dash for the loo.

She tried to ignore it, but the spot on her liner had multiplied and deepened in color. She wasn't sure how long she had sat there, staring at it, but when the sound of a knock on the door pulled her attention away, her legs were numb. "You okay in there, Mione?" Ginny asked, her voice soft.

"I'm fine," she replied, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears. She wiped again and pulled her knickers back up before washing her hands again. But it was when she caught sight of herself in the mirror that the last of her resolve faded away.

The sob had barely left her lips when the bathroom door opened and as the first tears slipped past her lashes, Ginny was there. Hermione wasn't sure if she had ever felt so broken. When she had sobbed so hard her eyes stung from the tears and her lungs burned from the inability to do anything more than a quick inhale. She had never held Ginny tighter, knowing that if either of them loosened up the slightest bit, she would crumble.

But Ginny never complained. Even when she knew it wasn't just tears that she got all over her shirt. When she held her so tight Ginny gave a grunt from having the air forced from her own lungs. She just kept still, giving Hermione the outlet she needed in that moment.

Hermione wasn't sure when, but at some point, they had sunk to the floor, their back against the wall facing the sink. Her head was on Ginny's shoulder as she held their clasped hands in her lap. "You need to talk about it, Hermione," Ginny whispered, working soothing circles into one of her palms.

"I wanted it," she whispered, the words bringing fresh, but silent tears down her face. "I didn't realize how much I wanted it until it wasn't there."

"When it's meant to be, you'll be an amazing mum," Ginny murmured.

Hermione smiled and shifted closer to Ginny. She took a deep breath as she thought of the blanket she had purchased prior to finding out she had miscarried. She'd never told Draco or Theo about it, but it was the first and only time she had let herself be excited about the prospect of being a mother. Now it was the only part she had of a child she would never get to know.

"Come on," Ginny said, patting her hands. "Let's get you cleaned up and-"

"I started my period," Hermione said, sitting up straight. "That's what triggered it," she added. "I might not have been ready, but my body was telling me it had moved on so my head was trying to catch up."

"You're in luck then," Ginny said, getting to her feet. "I just bought new knickers so I have a pair for you. Still have the tags on and everything."

She mumbled a thanks as Ginny left the bathroom. Hermione forced herself to the floor and started to clean up. She was a right mess; tears, snot, and makeup all over her face. And her hair… She hadn't even touched it and it was everywhere. She did her best to make herself look less like a crazed witch and by the time Ginny returned, she'd made a bit of progress.

Ginny left again, giving her privacy to clean the rest of herself up. She took one of the wipes from the back of the toilet and stepped out of her soiled knickers. Thankfully it was only the start so there wasn't much to clean away from her skin. She placed the knickers in the trash and reached over to the sink to get to the stash of pads she knew Ginny kept there. Knew knickers in place, complete with their safeguard, she checked her clothes to make sure nothing had gotten on them and then left the bathroom to find Ginny and Harry in the living room.

But they weren't alone.

Hermione did a double take at the sight of Draco and Theo standing there too. In the span of a heartbeat she found herself wrapped up in their combined embrace and all the effort she had put into cleaning up was gone in an instant.

She didn't need to ask how or why they were there; she knew the moment their embrace ended and she made eye contact with Ginny. After another hug from her best friend and one from Harry, she was bidding them goodnight and being escorted into the backseat of her own car. Draco climbed in with her so Theo could drive and before she knew it, they were home and in their room.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her hands squeezing theirs where they were joined between them.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Theo replied, bringing her hand up between them to kiss her knuckles.

"I wasn't the only one hurting. We're in this together; good or bad and I should have been there for you both."

"We can talk about this in the morning," Draco said as her words were followed by a rather large yawn.

She nodded, shifting so that she could take her usual place of Draco at her back and Theo pressed to her front. "I love you both. I don't know what I would do without either of you."

"We love you too," they replied together.

Theo pressed his lips against her forehead right before she buried her face into his chest. Draco kissed her shoulder and tightened the arm he had banded around her waist. And for the first time in weeks, she fell asleep feeling anything but empty inside.


	30. The Christening

**THIRTY**

**The Christening**

While that entire weekend was nothing but an emotional roller coaster, Hermione thought the three of them emerged from it stronger than ever. They still had a little ways to go before everything was back to normal, but the rift between them had mended significantly. She could admit that she wasn't fine. That the loss had taken a toll on her in the most unexpected ways, but it opened up a conversation about their potential future together. Ultimately, with barely half a year under their belt as a true triad, they decided together that when they made it to the one year mark, they would discuss things in greater detail.

The following week flew by with work and last-minute preparations for the house and the flat. It was surreal coming home to nearly everything being packed up and ready to move that weekend. Most of the things they were keeping had already been moved over to the house so it could be part of the experience. The things that remained were what they used on a day to day basis. That weekend would be when every last bit was transferred over by the movers.

Each of them had even packed for a night at a hotel, meaning Friday night was the last they would be spending at the flat. Saturday morning, the movers showed up bright and early. After enough time to get the game plan in motion, the three of them left to check into the hotel for the night and spent the day just relaxing as much as they could despite the rush of excitement. They even invited Ginny and Harry out to dinner that night to celebrate the start of a new chapter of their lives.

But even after a day of being constantly on the go, Hermione's mind was still racing with excitement about seeing their new house for the first time the following day. She could tell that Theo and Draco were in the same boat as she was so they spent the majority of the night making good use of the jacuzzi built into their suite. It was well after midnight when the exhaustion finally claimed them and when she woke the next morning, she felt giddier than when she used to be upon getting her school books for the semester.

She was even dressed, showered, and ready before the boys had even opened their eyes that morning. While they took turns getting ready, she ordered room service and they joined her when they were done. It was when they were in the hall, the door to the suite closing behind them that Hermione felt a rush of nerves.

It was when they were standing outside of the house, keys clutched tight in her fist as she stared up at the exterior, that the tears pricked at her eyes. She knew that for Draco, he hadn't really called anywhere else but his parents mansion home. Until he had moved into the flat, he had stayed in hotel rooms and college dorms. Theo had had roommates before in other flats, something Hermione always thought was strange due to his wealthy. She had found out quickly that he didn't like to be alone. And for her, the flat was the first place she had called home outside of her parents' house too.

She remembered the day she had decided that if she didn't want to move back in with her parents, she would need a roommate. By that time, Ginny and Harry had already talked about moving in with one another, so that was out. But never in a million years did she think accepting Theo's bid to be her flatmate would lead her here. Where she had been worried about ending up in the flat, forever alone, she now had a house with the two loves of her life.

With a deep breath, she slid the key in to the lock and opened the door. The three of them crossed over the threshold one by one and looked around in a state of awe. For the most part, it looked like it had the day Andromeda had shown it to them. The only difference now was the fresh paint, new appliances, and minor details here and there. But even with new furniture, there was enough of their personal belongings sprinkled throughout to make it feel like theirs.

Like home.

They went together, room by room; nothing went unexplored. They saved the master bedroom for last, though it was hard to get her to come down from the attic space that had been turned into a grand study complete with an impressive library space and a top notch reading nook. Theo had had to yank her away from the decadent window seat just before she sat, knowing full well if she had, she would have never left.

The master suite was through the double doors to the left of the stairs; the only room on that side of the upper floor. When they walked in, the first thing they saw was their massive bed, complete with a new four-poster frame with elegant scroll work and a canopy above. To the right of the bed was a small seating area with two chairs and a little table. To the left was their ridiculously large walk-in closet, the entrance to the bathroom splitting the closet in two. On the right was the smaller side with her things and the left was divided between the two of them and their army of suits.

The bathroom was the most impressive and she nearly laughed at the sight of the amenities. Draco had always been one to complain about the bathtub being suitable for toddlers only and the shower far to small to really enjoy. Now, they had the largest tub she had ever seen not in a hotel that could easily fit two of them, though she was sure all of them could get in there if they got creative. And the shower was equally as large, complete with so many nobs and shower heads that she felt herself pruning just looking at it.

"I know I've seen the whole thing and it's our stuff, but…"

Theo slid an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. "I know exactly what you mean," he murmured, dropping his lips to her temple.

"Pansy really outdid herself," Draco said, reaching for her hand.

"That girl deserves some kind of medal for this. I've never moved anywhere where I didn't have to stare at boxes for weeks on end. We could turn in our keys at the flat tomorrow and not have to lift a single finger," Hermione mused.

Theo's chuckle sent minute vibrations up her side as his hand slid down to cup her curve of her ass. "I guess that gives us ample time to christen this house properly."

Hermione craned her neck to look at him, a smirk on her lips. "I couldn't agree more," she said before pulling away from both of them as she sauntered back into the bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes in her wake.

They were quick to follow and when they reached her, they were just as bare as she was. With a smirk still on her lips, she dropped to her knees before them. She held their gazes for a moment before she shuffled forward to close the gap and wrapped a hand around each of them, giving them both steady pumps. She wet her lips as her thumbs collected the pearlescent bead of moisture that leaked from them and used it to quicken her strokes.

She closed her eyes and leaned in towards Draco. Her lips slipped over the tip where she sucked hard and swiped at him with her tongue. His hand slid into her hair as he hissed and pulled her closer, his cock sliding further inside her mouth. She relaxed her jaw ever so slightly as he rocked his hips back and forth; his fingers tightening their grasp on her hair. She hummed around him as she pulled back and then smiled up at him as she released him with an audible pop.

But as she turned towards Theo to repeat the actions on him, he surprised them both by dropping to his knees next to her. She went still with shock as she watched him place his mouth around Draco. Draco groaned from above them as Hermione just stared on in wonder. They had told her about what happened when she was away and there had been a few moments here and there between them, but they had yet to _show_ her that they had done more. And it was better than her fantasies.

It took her a moment to realize that Theo was looking at her, his head tilting in invitation. She moved instantly, her tongue meeting his as they lavished Draco's cock with equal attention. The depth of his groan from the feel of both of them made Hermione's thighs press together to contain the floodgates the sound burst open. With double the pleasure, Draco was brought to the edge faster than ever before. She could tell in the way he thrust at their mouths and the quiver in his knees. And when that final moment came, it was Theo who closed his mouth around him and swallowed him down.

Hermione whined low in her throat as she watched Draco grab hold of Theo's hair while his hips continued to jerk. Theo drew it out as long as he could and when he let go, he pulled her to him instantly. His kiss was wetter than ever before and it took her a moment to realize that he hadn't swallowed completely; he had saved Draco's release with the intention of sharing it with her. Had they not been doing a variation of this from the beginning, she wouldn't have responded by deepening the kiss; greedy for the taste of Draco. And when there was nothing left, Theo was getting to his feet and drawing her with him.

Theo threw back the comforter and then sat against the headboard. Hermione got on the bed next, settling herself between his legs on all fours and going straight for his cock. As he was gathering her hair out of the way, she felt Draco behind her, nudging her legs apart one second and burying his face between her thighs the next. She moaned hard around Theo causing him to hiss in turn. Draco's hands were on her rear, spreading her wide so he could feast upon every part of her.

She closed her eyes and found herself trying to match what she was doing to Theo to what Draco was doing to her. His hips were bucking up, pushing his cock nearly all the way down her throat. And Draco was behind her, pushing her closer and closer to the edge right along with him. But instead of letting her come, he was pulling away from her. She whined from not only the loss of his tongue, but the loss of Theo's cock in her mouth as Draco pulled her away from that too.

She closed her eyes as she felt herself being guided onto her back. She shivered violently as she remembered the time they had both penetrated the same part of her and wondered if that was their intention this time. She settled back against Theo, waiting as he shifted her hair out of the way and then hooked his arms under her knees to hold her open. Draco was up getting the lube and when he returned, he applied a generous amount to Theo before taking hold of his cock and positioning it to the pucker of her rear.

She jumped slightly when she realized that it wasn't an accident. "Relax, Hermione," Theo whispered from behind her, kissing whatever parts of her skin he could reach.

She relaxed as much as possible and after a few failed attempts, Draco was able to guide Theo's cock successfully inside of her, only letting go once he was sure her body wasn't going to push him out. After a moment to adjusted, she flexed her hips and cried out from the feel of him in there. It wasn't a part of her that Draco had taken more than a few times, so it still felt new and exciting. And this was the first time Theo was inside of her ass; she could tell from the noises he was making beneath her that he liked it just as much as she did.

He set a slow pace of pulling back and pushing forward as they waited for Draco. He seemed content on watching them and Hermione felt herself shiver again. "It never occurred to me that watching someone fuck your tight little asshole would be better than fucking it myself."

"Draco… I'm not gonna last," Theo said, his words garbled by his own groans as he pushed his way deeper into her channel.

Draco chuckled, but got into position. He coated himself in the silken heat of her core and when she felt the tip of his cock nudge her entrance, she closed her eyes and moaned. As both of them pushed themselves as far in as they could get, Hermione went still for her body to accommodate the stretch. The last time they had been in this position, she remembered the feeling of fullness, but this was even more filling than that.

Her entire body started to thrum with the rising of her release as they both began to move. They started out in tandem and she could feel them rubbing against one another through the thin sliver of skin that separated them. And the more they moved, the more she was grateful that they were holding her so tightly. She wasn't able to do anything other than cry out for them as they continued to move, sending her hurtling towards the stars.

When she came, it was as though time had stood still. She was sure she forgot her own name for a second and when she started to come back down, she realized the distant screams she heard had been her own and that her throat was already turning raw. She barely registered that Draco had leaned forward to take one of her nipples between his teeth before she was launched into her second and then third orgasm; one right after the other.

She heard them through her stupor as they came with her. Both of them tightened their hold on her and filled her at the same time. Neither of them moved for what felt like an eternity. Her entire body was trembling and pulsing around theirs. Draco was the first to move, extracting himself carefully and then helping her off of Theo. Instead of going to get a towel to clean themselves off, they simply laid there in a tangled mass of limbs, panting to catch their breath.

It wasn't until much later when any of them found the strength to move again, but it was Draco that corralled them to the bathroom so they could test out their shower. And as water rained down around them from practically every angle, Hermione found herself feeling right at home.


	31. New Beginnings

**THIRTY-ONE**

**New Beginnings**

Hermione had never thought she would see the day when she would be saying goodbye to her flat. She hadn't exactly pictured herself growing old there, but it was perfect for her needs while she had it. The only thing she knew for sure was that when that day did come, she would be a complete wreck. But she was pleasantly surprised when she did nothing more than shed a few tears as she set her keys on the counter and give each room one last look through to make sure everything was out. Theo and Draco were in the hall waiting for her, giving her a moment to herself.

There had been a lot of memories there. She had gotten her first real adult job; a career. She had met Theo and Draco there. They had all gone from friends to lovers. There had been so many good memories, that she could only think of a handful of bad, but even those were fleeting. But while there had been some amazing high points in her life that happened within the flat, she had the rest of her life to make new memories at her new house.

So with a heavy, but happy heart, she took her leave of her flat for the last time and closed the door on that chapter of her life.

And somehow the month that followed went by even faster than the last. Before she knew it, the house warming party was upon them and they were making last minute decisions with Pansy while sitting in the living room when the doorbell sounded. The four of them looked around at one another and shrugged; neither of them expecting anyone else.

It was Theo that answered the door and Hermione nearly dropped her plate at the sound of her mother's voice. "Mum?" she questioned, getting up so fast her head spun.

Jean said nothing as she met Hermione half way with tears in her eyes. She reached for her daughter and pulled her close. "I've been a terrible mother."

Hermione went still in her mother's embrace and looked at Theo over Jean's shoulder. His shoulders lifted, but he was moving back toward the living room as she pulled away slightly. When she turned, the other three were picking up their dinner and heading out onto the back patio to give her and her mother some privacy. She smiled softly at them and then led her into the living room.

Jean sat next to her on the couch and held Hermione's hands in her lap. "I want to apologize for the way we left things at dinner. Your father…" She shook her head to which Hermione simply gave a tight smile. "The point is, you're my daughter and I should have been there for you." Hermione went still and her mouth ran dry. "I had lunch with Missus Weasley earlier today and she asked me how I was holding up. I didn't have the slightest clue what she was talking about until she said she'd lost a child once in the beginning so she knew what you were going through."

"Mum-"

"I got your messages, Hermione, all of them. I heard the pain in your voice and I let them go because I had a picture in my head of what your life was supposed to be like. But none of that matters now. You lost a child; my _grandchild_ and I let something as frivolous as my ideas of social norms get in the way of being there for you." She squeezed Hermione's hands so tight it nearly hurt, but she didn't care. "And then I found myself at your flat, having forgotten that you moved and I had to scroll through all those messages again just to find your new address. I'm so sorry, Hermione. I should have been there for you."

The tears were flowing freely from both of them as they moved forward to embrace each other again. When they were both calm again, Hermione pulled back to fill Jean in on everything that had been happened in her life since that disastrous dinner a few months prior. "Will you come to the housewarming tomorrow night?" she asked as she walked her mother out to her car a little while later.

"I wouldn't miss it."

"Do you think Dad will come too?"

Jean was silent for a moment as she placed a hand on Hermione's forearm. "I can't make any promises, but I will try my best to get him to come with me."

"Thank you, Mum."

"See you tomorrow, Hermione," she said, giving her daughter one last embrace before taking her leave.

When she went back inside, Pansy, Draco, and Theo were back in the living room, staring expectantly at her. "Everything okay?" Draco asked.

She nodded quietly and then looked at Pansy. "Whatever you decide for tomorrow is fine."

Pansy smiled and got to her feet. "I'll see you tomorrow around one so we can start setting up," she said, stopping on her way out to kiss Hermione's cheek.

When it was just the three of them, Draco and Theo were there, pulling her into a tight embrace between them, knowing that was exactly what she needed.

* * *

Pansy and Astoria had arrived precisely on time to help the three of them set up. The caterer delivered the food around three and guests started showing up soon after that. They left both the front and back door open and before she knew it, Hermione had a house full of people. It was surprising that she not only knew so many people, but that they never would have been able to host something like this in the flat. Now that they could, she saw herself hosting many events simply because she could.

There were even some friends that she hadn't seen since college and never thought they would show up. It was nice to reconnect with them and see how relationships had changed. So far, the majority of her friends seemed to be in a good place. She even met a few more of Draco and Theo's friends. And despite the taboo on their relationship, no one seemed to really care.

About an hour into the party, Theo had found her with one of her old dorm mates, Luna and her husband Neville. She excused herself from them and followed Theo to one of the less occupied spaces of the main floor. She smiled in greeting to Draco and his parents, but tried to place where she had seen the other well-dressed gentleman. It took her a moment to realize that he seemed familiar because he shared some similarities to Theo.

"Hermione, this is my Uncle Kerus. Uncle, this is Hermione Granger, my girlfriend."

Kerus reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Granger. My nephew has told me all about you."

"Likewise," she replied as her hand drifted back to her side. "I've been hoping to meet you for ages. I'm glad you could make it."

"It has been far too long since my last vacation."

"I'm honored you're choosing to spend it with us then," she said, giving him a warm smile as she wrapped her arms around Theo's waist for a moment. She did a double take at the sight of her mother walking through the door and pulled back. "Excuse me," she whispered before parting ways. "You made it," she breathed, offering a small smile as she embraced her.

"I wouldn't miss it," she replied, stepping back. Hermione turned to follow her gaze to the group she had just left. "Are those their parents?"

Hermione nodded and gestured for her to follow. She introduced them all, smiling as they all launched into a comfortable conversation. Her eyes kept drifting towards the door to see if her father would be joining them soon, but it didn't appear to be the case. When she had all but given up hope, she caught sight of him crossing the threshold with an apprehensive step.

That time, she didn't excuse herself, she just went towards him like a moth drawn to a flame. "You came," she whispered, biting her cheek to keep her tears at bay.

He held her gaze while he inclined his head slowly. "Your mother told me what happened," he said, his voice tight. She saw his gaze flicker past her shoulder for a moment before settling on her again. "I don't agree with your life choices, Hermione, but you're still my daughter. We weren't there for us when you needed us most and nothing makes me feel worse than knowing that was through no fault but my own." He reached for her hands and held them tight. "I have only ever want what's best for you and I will continue to want that. I was being stubborn and it nearly cost our relationship. I know this won't fix everything between us, but-"

Hermione pulled her hands from his in favor of wrapping her arms around him and holding tight. He returned her embrace and they just held each other in silence for a while until she pulled back first. "I'm happy, Dad. Happier than I've ever been before. I understand how and why it goes against what you believe in, but this is what's best for me. I love you. Even when you're mad at me."

"I love you too, Hermione," he said, giving her a slight smile. "May I be reintroduced to those gentlemen of yours?"

"Absolutely," she said, leading him over to the others as she had her mother. She made the rounds of introductions and after a round of hellos and handshakes, Russell asked Theo and Draco if he could have a private word with them. Hermione watched as they walked away, smiling at the way everything was coming together.

* * *

Ginny and Harry had stayed after everyone else had left to help clean up. Despite how Theo and Draco protested, saying they had intended on hiring a cleaning service the next morning. Hermione argued that she wouldn't be able to sleep with the house in such a state, especially not if she was going to wake up to it as well. In the end, they had settled on cleaning up mostly food related things; things that would spoil or smell up the place before they compromised. Ginny and Harry took their leave, saying goodbye to Hermione on the front porch while Draco made the arrangements via email.

Once they were gone, she allowed herself to be whisked away from the chaos that had become their ground floor. Not that she had protested very hard, especially when they began to undress her and fog her mind until she lost it entirely.

It was while they laid there in the after, their hands skimming over whatever part of each other they could, that Hermione couldn't hold back. "I know we said we would wait until we hit our year mark to discuss things, but I don't want to wait another six months to tell you how I feel," she said, looking between the two of them.

"How _do_ you feel?" Theo asked, his hand finding hers.

"Yes, Granger, enlighten us."

She reached up to cup Draco's face as she smirked at him and he covered her hand with his own. "I love both of you. I don't need another six months to know that I don't think I'll ever stop loving you both. This is our home and I want to grow old in it with both of you. We might not be able to get married, but I don't care about that. I just want us all together forever. I want to have at least one child with each of you…" her voice trailed off as her emotions got the better of her. "I want both of you; no matter what anyone has said before or might say in the future."

Draco turned his face to nuzzle her palm and pressed a kiss into it before moving forward to capture her lips. "I think you'll find we're all on the same page, but just to be clear," he said, his hand falling away from hers to cup her face instead. "I have no intentions of going anywhere either. I want what you want. I love you. Both of you." With the last bit, he pulled back to look at Theo and lifted the hand from her cheek to place it on his.

Theo leaned over as well, his lips seeking Draco's before moving down to hers. "I couldn't have said any of that better myself," he said, his fingers tracing her jaw. "I love the both of you as well." He glanced up at Draco and then looked back at her, amusement shining brightly in his eyes. "And since we're not getting any younger, maybe we should work on starting that family sooner rather than later?"

Hermione grinned and surged forward until she was straddling his hips. She sank down on him with little effort, her core still drenched from their earlier escapades. "How about now?"

His eyelids fluttered as he bucked his hips against hers, his hands falling to her hips. "Now's fucking perfect."

There would be plenty of time to discuss the logistics later, both with them as well as her doctor to make sure whatever happened last time didn't happen again. But in that moment, she just wanted to feel connected to the both of them. She reached for Draco and pulled him towards her for a kiss as she continued to roll her hips over Theo. But Draco had a different idea. He kissed her briefly, but she found herself being guided forward and before she knew it, he had joined her and Theo in their quest for the stars.


	32. Fairytale Ending

**THIRTY-TWO**

**Fairytale Ending**

_**Five years later...** _

A shriek sounded from below, causing Hermione to jump. She lifted her gaze to Ginny who simply stared at her in return and shrugged her shoulders. "Do you really want to know?" she asked, going back to wiping the excess lipstick from the corners of her mouth.

Hermione snorted and turned back to her own finishing touches on her make up. "Not really."

There might have been quite a few children running amok in her house, but they were vastly outnumbered by adults. Whatever was going on downstairs, someone else would handle it. Besides, she was sure if she stepped foot outside of her bedroom, she would find herself being shoved right back into it until it was time.

"Any guesses on the culprit?"

Hermione snickered as she got up from the bench at her vanity to find the earrings she wanted for the occasion. "My money's on Scorpius," Hermione replied with a sigh. "He takes after Draco far too much in the trouble maker department."

"Yes, because Aurelia is such a bloody angel."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but didn't bother to comment. Her eldest child, Theo's daughter, would be five soon. She was a social butterfly who talked even in her sleep. She had gotten Theo's blue eyes and Hermione's unruly curls. She slept with a book under her pillow and was so sly with her words, one could never tell if they were being insulted until it was too late. She had both her fathers wrapped around her little finger and used it to her advantage at every turn. Not that Hermione didn't cave to her either.

Scorpius was Draco's son and had just turned three a few weeks prior. Where his sister wanted to learn everything about everything, he had his favorite things and stuck with those, leaving the rest to the wayside. He wasn't one to go up to strangers and try to befriend them, but once he got close to someone, he would also talk their ear off. Just as Draco predicted, he had gotten the signature platinum hair. In fact, he was such a mini Draco that it drove Hermione crazy. The only thing in looks that made him hers was the slight wave to his tresses. Regardless, she loved him all the same.

"Please, we all know if James is here, the two of them are probably up to no good together," Hermione deadpanned.

Ginny sighed and dropped her lipstick into her makeup bag. "You know they're only going to get worse as time wears on. Wait until they hit puberty."

Hermione groaned at that. "Between James constantly chasing after Aurelia and his and Scorpius' fondness for getting into trouble, we're all fucked."

Ginny's laughter was contagious and soon Hermione was trying her hardest to fight back tears so she wouldn't ruin the makeup she had just finished applying. They had had that feeling since they'd discovered they were pregnant at the same time; Hermione with her second and Ginny with her first. It was easy to see that the boys would be fast friends; they were always around one another and it was clear from early on that James was taken with Aurelia. It was completely endearing and they all hoped, but would never push for that dream to come true.

"Whatever it is, it sounds like they've got a handle on it now," Ginny said as melodic laughter floated up from the floor below.

"Do you think it would still bring bad luck if I went down there and saw them if I'm not technically a bride?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat at the sound.

"You can make it another ten minutes," she said, giving her a forearm a squeeze.

As if on cue, the door to the bedroom opened and in came Pansy, her other bridesmaid for the day. She looked stunning with her black hair in the perfect updo, creamy skin, and dusty rose colored dress that matched Ginny's. "I have Astoria moving everyone to their places. The children are with their grandparents to keep them occupied. Anything you need before we head down?" she asked.

"I'm good."

Pansy nodded and then gestured for Ginny to come with her. "We'll be right back to get you."

With the master suite to herself, Hermione stood in front of the full length mirror in the closet and stared at herself. They had been planning the commitment ceremony for ages, but put it off when they found out she was pregnant with Aurelia. Draco had volunteered to let Theo be the first to knock her up since they had known each other the longest. And within two short months, they were at the doctor's office confirming their successful attempts.

It had been an intense pregnancy, one that left her not so keen on having another until she was good and ready. Not only did her body need to fully recover, but she needed to mentally prepare herself as well. And when the time was right, she and Draco started the process all over again until they confirmed their efforts had paid off. And she thanked her lucky stars when Scorpius turned out to be the easiest pregnancy ever.

And now that she had two kids, she wasn't sure that she wanted another. She had a girl and a boy; one from each of their fathers. It was the perfect balance. One that she didn't want to upset. Neither Theo or Draco had broached the subject either so she figured they were just as content or they were waiting for her make that call.

Either way, adjusting to motherhood had pushed their idea of a commitment ceremony further into the future. There was never any rush for it either, since it was just an excuse to through a very lavish party with all their friends and family. Someday she had hope that the legal system would welcome the idea of a relationship such as theirs and recognize a legal union between them, but until that day, this would suffice. It was already more than they needed anyway as neither of them planned on going anywhere.

She played with the flowy skirt of her dusty blue dress and waited until Pansy and Ginny came back to collect her. Down in the living room, Aurelia was bounding over to her right away to show her the fresh rose petals in her basket. Scorpius wasn't far behind her with his own basket. They had all decided he was too young to hold the rings. Those were currently with either Harry or Blaise.

Someone cued up the music and Pansy sent her children, arm-in-arm, down the aisle runner that had been laid down starting at the base of the stairs and out to where she could catch a glimpse of her men. Next was Blaise taking Pansy's arm and leading her out there. Ginny gave her a quick hug before taking Harry outside. And then she was alone with her father.

"You look beautiful, Hermione," Russell said, the tears in his eyes making her own spring to life again.

"Thanks, Dad," she whispered.

And then the music switched and everyone stood up. Her eyes immediately fell on Draco and Theo the moment she was down the last step. They were staring at her with their own glassy gazes and she stopped trying to fight the tears. She was sure she held her breath the entire way, only releasing it when her father stopped to kiss her cheek and send her off to her grooms.

They held out their hands for her to take and with each word they spoke to each other, the more their voices cracked. They made their speeches as if they were vows and then she slipped matching silver bands onto each of their fingers before they put a slightly more embellished version on her finger at the same time. And then, with their loved ones cheering them on, they sealed their words with a round of kisses.

As they faced everyone, hand in hand with her between them, Hermione knew she had found her happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the love on this one! If you wanna see what's next, come on over to my FB Group: madrose_writing

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to join me over at my FB Group: madrose_writing


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